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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1987-06-24, Page 3LOcaI p otter wants Other people call him a potter, but Robert Tetu considers himself a sculptor, a designer, an artist, a chemist, a pyrotechni- •clan and optimist all rolled into one. "You have to be them all," he said, adding the sculptor emerges when he's moulding the clay; the designer when he's determin- ing what function a piece of work should per- form, the artist and chemist when he's mix- ing glazes, and the pyrotechnician, when he's firing up the kiln. "But most of all you have tobe an op- timist, he said, "because pieces break. They eamlook-great when -you take -them out of the kiln, but then you turn them oyer, and see a big crack in the bottom, so you throw them in. the .garbage and start over." Born and raised in Preston Mr. Tetu mov- ed to Toronto to attend the Ontario College of Art, but found it less than appealing and quit. It was while he • was working for 'a Toronto advertising firm, that• . he discovered potting. • "It was a matter of finding someone giv- ing lessons, thinking this would be an in- teresting thing to try out, then falling in love with it," he said. That was 14 years ago. Two years later, in 1975, after deciding to go full time with the pottery, Mr. Tetu began searching for the perfect countryside setting for a studio. He found it in the form of the old Beechwood Store, located four miles north of St. Colum ban on McKillop Sideroad 10. "I wanted out of the city - out of the rat race," he said, "Not only were .property prices lower in the country than in Toronto, but it was more acceptable to operate a gas fired kiln out-. . • side of an industrial area. There was also a back to the land movement on and at the time I wanted a garden and all sorts of things - chicken, goats, ducks..." Mr. Tetu found the Beechwood store in good shape despite the fact it had been derelict for 10 years, and for five years previous to that, had only been used in the summers. "The old store situation was ideal for a studio because of the shelving, storage space and the big windows at the front that let in a lot of natural light," he said. So accompanied with a space heater and a lot of plans for refurbishing the living area of the store Mr. Tetu came to Beechwood. Not only has he restored the old store, but he has made a name for himself as a local artisan of stoneware and porcelain. In addi- tion to two annual shows at his Beechwood Studio, in June and November, Mr. Tetu sells his works to a number of craft -oriented and specialized shops across the province. Contrary to conventional jobs, Mr. Tetu does not gage his work by the hours in the day. Tuckersmith. BY WILMA OKE Tuckersmith Township council discussed at council session a development proposed by Walter Armes for William Street in the hamlet of Egmondvitle. Mr. Armes reported his severance ap- plication to the County of Huron Land Divi- sion Committee has been approved based on a satisfactory development agreement be- ing worked out with Tuckersmith Township. He said he had been in contact with an engineer who estimated a cost of between $3,000 and $5,000 to engineer a storm drainage system to service the lands, with supervision of construction costing extra. Mr. Armes asked the council the type of drainage system required and why an engineer's drawings were a necessity. Council will arrange a meeting of Mr. Armes and. road superintendent Douglas HCBE reaches agreements The Huron County Board of Education and its 265 Secondary School Teachers represented by District 45 of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation are pleased to announce that they have reached an Agreement for the 1987/88 school year: The agreement calls for a 4.45 per cent in- crease on all grid salaries and Vice- Principal salaries. Prtncipal salaries will be increased by 4 per cent. There will be no in, creases for responsibility or extra degree allowances. Summer school and night school rates will be increased by 3 per cent. The Staff Improvement Plan fund will be in- creased by 3 per cent on January 1, 1988. The parties are happy to note this is the first time in many years that an agreement has been reached prior to the expiration date of the old agreement. The HCBE has also reached an agreement between itself and the cleaners, custodians, painters, and maintenance .craftsmen represented by the Service Employees Union, Local 210. Both parties have ratified a two year agreement effective from June 1, 1987 to May 31, 1989. This agreement calls for a four per cent increase to the maximum rate and 0 per cent on the start rate and the six month rate. The pay grid was extended from six months to 12 months by adding a third step. An addi- tional 15 cents to 25 cents per hour Will be ad- ded to the endrates . effective January 1, 1988. In year two this agreement calls for a three per cent increase for the start rate and a four per cent increase to the endrate. An additiona110 cents per hour will be added to each endrate effective January 1, 1987. As of September 1, 1987, the Dental Plan will be based on the 1985 Ontario Dental -Association-fee guid In addition to this the parties have agreed to investigate an alternative tc the current Sick Leave Gratuity Plan. A third agreement has been reached bet- Ween the Board and its Clerical, secretarial, teacher aide and audio visual technician employees represented .by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 1428. Both parties have ratified the two year collective agreement effective from July 1, 1987, to June 30 1989. In year one the agreement calls for a two per Cent increase on start rate and a four per cent increase on all other rates. An addi- tura o page 7 4 THE HURON EXPOSITOR, JUNE 24, '1987 -- A3 �e known as artist BEECHWOOD POTTER Robert Tetu with help from his wife Cora' De Vries, hosted his 11th Annual Spring Show Saturday and Sun- day at their Beechwood home. The show showcased some new and experimental work as wet as some of the "tried-and-true" favorites. Mcllwraith photo. "Porcelain is such fiddley stuff and prone • to break down at any point of the process. I enjoy working with it, but after one month I•'m happy to get back to the stoneware and just relax with it." • Although there is,an almost equal,deinand for both his porcelain and stoneware, Mr, Tetu said locally people seem to like ,the stoneware. That, 'he said, 'is because they have a more domestic view of pottery. Approximately one-quarter of his clientele is local, one-half from the London area, and the last• one-quarter scattered across the province.. • Mr. Tetu keep up .an active mailing list and encourages people to invite their friends •to his shows, which are generally wine and cheese parties. . "We like to create an atmosphere where people enjoy themselves. There's sotnething really important in people making a connec- tion between apiece of .art and the artist. Even if it's•a.coffeemug people like to know lt's.not made in some factory in Taiwan." he said. Right now Mr, Tetu said he is experienc- ing the same kind of rush that he gets before Christmas. Not only was his recent trip to the middle east influential, but 'things are "'going well in terms of the recognition he is receiving from those shops he sells through. "Things are really exploding," he Said. "Finally I'm an overnight success after 15 years. of work.'.' • But what Mr. Tetu wants now is to get his reputation to the point that he can concen- trate on making large one-of,a-kind pieces rather than relying on domestic works to guarantee an income. 'What I want essentially is to be an artist in the procelain•as opposed to a potter mak- • ing artistic pieces•now and then," he said. And he is .coming closer to making that a reality. Last year he was one out of 800 members of the potter's guild chosen to give "Producing • • //yy a one-man porcelain showing, and from July otter I s h s i c I I 1 to July. 25 this year his porcelain works will •1 •bCentre.ibited, at ,the Burlington Cultural But in addition to pottery, Mr. Tetu ad- s elf -limiting' thing.. miss a levfro of ing and orock travelling and all niusic - from classical to rock and roll. ' And while he can't imagine ever quitting, he said if he had to he'd -like to be a car "I work at it as long as I can," he said. "Producing pottery is a physically self- limiting thing. Wedging clay is more strenuous work than people realize." Mr: Tetu noted a recent five-month trip he and Cora De Vries of Benmiller, his bride of 10 months, took. to the far 'east and said although he was anxious on their return to get back into his pottery, he was exhausted council after only three or four hours of work. "The grim reality was my muscles were killing me," he said. But such trips are necessary in order for Mr. Tetu to retain his enthusiasm for his craft and produce new designs. "I can't just go into massive. production. If I didn't demand that my stuff continually improve, I'd get bored. People who aren't discusses William Poulton, and at the next meeting of council will discuss it further. . BUILDING PROPOSAL A proposal by Steve Rathwell and Del Seliolendorf of Vanastra to erect a building at the Vanastra ball diamond was outlined to council. Mr. Rathwell and Mr. Scholen- dorf presented a plan for a building 24 feet by 24 feet. The building will include a storage area, washrooms and snack bar facilities. y ,. The men requested c3uncil finance the purchase of the materials forapproximate- 1y $8;000 plus the water and sewage hook -u NA, NA, NA, NA, NA Donald Knot, a "student at Huron Centennial School in Brucefietd, goaded those people throwing balls at the dunk tank Saturday, with his Mocking- antios. The dunk tank was set up as part of the festivities that marked the school's 20th anniversary. Mcliwraith photo, familiar with my pottery will look at it and' say - 'very nice,graceful and delicate'. A potter will hopefully say the same thing and add, 'how the hell did you do that'," he said. "People keep coming back to buy new things. They expect to see new designs." While he finds the porcelain has the delicacy and transluency he wants to achieve, Mr. Tetu admits it is easier to work with stoneware. street devel with the labor to be supplied by the par- ticipatns,currently using the diamond. Mr. Rathwell and Mr. Scholendorf guaranteed profits from the snack bar would be used to repay the loan over an eight-year period. Should any deficit occur the men said there would be a special assessment on the teams using the diamond. Council will investigate this proposal and make a decision at the next council session. • RENEGOTIATE CONTRACT Council will renegotiate the tender with Wesley Riley Contracting for the hauling and spreading of crushed gravel on township roads to a fall delivery date. Council will grant the Seaforth Communi- ty Hospital $3 per patient during 1987 for a total of $522. Council will not granT a water connection for John Haverkamp's residence from the Vanastra Water System. Council will advise the Township Commit- Shinens sold to Shinen's Clothing Store, a part of Seaforth's Main Street history since 1924, has been sold. Bee aid Doug Foreman, a young couple from Nairn, near Ailsa Craig, o€ficially, became the new owners of the store on June 16, They purchased it from Emile lszacovics, who decided a few months ago that after 33 years in the clothing retail business he'd like to retire. He boueht the mechanic. "I see a lot of room there for creativity," he said. ' "I would have liked to have been a vet or a doctor, but I couldn't stand cutting things up. In the meantime. though he'll stick with pottery. "I make enough pottery to make a living at it and enjoy the odd holiday. I'm not rich but..." opment tee of adjustment of potential snow problem should the committee grant the variance of Wayne and Janice Andrews. Council also feels this application may be more than a minor variance from"the township zoning by-law. In a recorded vote council agreed to ad- vise the Township of Stanley that further in- vestigation be carried out for a good used tank truck or a new chassis and suitable tank within the insurance proceeds for the Brucefield Fire Department. Voting for this were Reeve Robert Bell. Deputy reeve Robert Broadfoot and coun- cillors William Carnochan and Rowena Wallace. Against it was councillor George Cantelon. Passed for payment were the following aecountst Day Care Centre at Vanastra $8,218.15; special day care at Vanastra $7,029.32; Recreation Centre at Vanastra $15,937.94; roads $10,009.52 and general ac- counts $337,111.54 for a total of $378„306.47. young couple business from his father-in-law Sam Shinen in 1954, continuing to supply the clothing needs of the older generation, Mr. Shinen began the business by selling clothing from a horse-drawn wagon. Mr. and Mrs, Foreman say they will carry the same merchandise as their predeceasors and will also keep the original store name. They intend to move to Seaforth.' COMMUNITY CALENDAR If you're organizing a non-profit event of interest to other Seaforth area residents, phone the recreation office al 627.0882 or the Expositor at 52741240, or mail the information to Common, fy Catendar, The Huron Expositor, Box 69 Seaforth, Ontario, NOK 1W0 welt in advance of the scheduled' date. Space for the Community Calendar is donated by The Huron Expositor Mon., June 22 Sat. , . June 27 8:00 p.m. Bantam Girls vs. Clinton 9:30 P.M. Molesters & Oilers (Winthrop Balt Park Schedule 1987) Tues., June 23 6:30 p.m. Beigrave vs. Sq. Boys 8:00 p.m. Sluggers vs. Masherettes 9:30 p.m. Clinton vs. Warrettes (Winthrop Ball Park Schedule 1487) Wed., June 24 6:30 p.m. Mite Boys Vs. Brussels 9:30 p.m. eagles vs. Molesters (Winthrop Bali Park Schedule 1987) 1:30 - 4 p m. Public Swimming 1:30 p.m: Senior Shuffleboard 6 - 8 p.m. Mom's & Tot's Rollerskating 7 m. Crea p, mery vs. Mainstreet 8:30 p.m. Queens vs. Turf Club 8 p.m. Ladies Ball Hockey 6 8:30 p.m. Public Swimming Thurs., June 25 Minor Hockey Men's Golf Youmatnent at Golf Course 10 a.m. St. Thomas Anglican Church Women - Yard Sate at Church Grounds Sun., June 28 7 p.m. Mainstreet vs. Topnotch 8:30 p.m. Sears vs. Creamery (Lions Park) , 8:00 p.m. Walton Bantams at Blyth Mon., June 2J 6:30 p.m. Sq. Girls vs. Brussels 8:00 p.m. Bantam Girls vs. Brussels 9:30 p.m. Oilers at 'titans (Winthrop Ball Park Schedule 1981) 7 p.ni: Topnotch vs. Queens 8.30 p.m. Bears vs. Mainstreet (Optlmist Park)' 9:00 p.m. Mitchell at Walton 6:10 p.fn. Pee. Wee Girls vs_ Gowanst6 _TUGS' y June 30 9:30 P.M. Oilers v's. Warriors 8:00 pin. Brodhegen & Masherettes (Winthrop Ball Park Schedule 1987) 9:30 p.m Midget Boys vs. Mitchell 1:30 p.m. Topnotch vs. Komakozy (Winthrop Bail Park Schedule 1987) 8:30 p.m. Cents vs. Boilersmith 7 - 8:30 p.m. Ladies Softball at Liens Park 9:30 p.m. Brewers vs. Beachwood 8:30 p.m. Walton at Wildcats (Seaferth Lions Park) Fri.,- June 26 6:30 p.m. T -Ban Practice 8.00' p.m Swingers vs. Roadrunners 9:30 p,m. Warriors.at Titans (Winthrop Ball Park Schedule 1987) 7:00 p.m Winthrop at Walton Squirts 7:00 p.m. Beigrave at Walton Mites 9:00 p.m. Fordwich at Walton Bantams Wed,, July 1 8:00 p.m. Midget Girls Vs. Londesboro 9:30 p.m Titans at Molesters (Winthrop Bali Park Schedule 1987) Canada Day Festivities (Look at Recreation Preview for detail's)