HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1990-10-31, Page 1Serving the communities
and areas of Seaforth,
Brussels, Dublin Hensel!
and Walton
Strike taemature. See page A3.
Much loved custodian. See page A3.
Better accessibility needed. See page A3.
Huron
xpositor�
Seaforth, Ontario
HURON EXPOSITOR, WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 31, 1990
60 cents a copy
Street extension opposed
BY HEATHER ROBINET
Opposition greeted a request by
the Seaforth Community Hospital,
that Side Street be extended to meet
with Alexander Street, and thus
create an alternative access route to
the hospital. Traffic studies of the
hospital's existing entrance -
Centennial Drive - have indicated
an average of 500 cars per day
using the route. With expanded
services on the horizon, the hospital
is concerned about traffic tie-ups at
the junction of Highway 8 and
Centennial Drive, which could
ultimately prevent emergency
vehicles from geeing in and out of
the hospital.
"We're worried about the
ambulance traffic, and the fire
department getting in in the case of
an emergency," commented Don
Smith, Chief Administration Officer
of the Seaforth Community
Hospital.
"Overall action at the hospital,
and at the clinic is increasing.
People slowing down to turn onto
Centennial Drive are being passed
by faster vehicles, and it's just a
matter of time before an accident
occurs at that corner, and if it did,
the hospital would be cut off."
Mr. Smith acknowledged that the
access problem ha, t x isted for
some time - in excess of 20 years,
but said it has only been of late that
it has really become a major
concern. He noted that the hospital
has had extensive correspondence
with the Ministry of Transportation
about moving the 50 mph sign
towards Mitchell, or installing a
flashing light at the hospital turn
off, or even getting another access
route off of Highway 8, but has
been turned down on all fronts.
"The MTO seems to be calling
the shots, and they have rejected us
on all occasions,' he said.
John Forest, Seaforth's
Superintendent of Public Works,
sympathized with Mr. Smith.
"The MTO has a set of guidelines
which it goes by, which is good.
But in each situation there should
be room for some exceptions, but
the MTO doesn't seem to make
any," he said.
Frank Sills of Goderich Street
East, commented that maybe
Seaforth ought to put a litde more
pressure on the MTO.
Mr. Sills, who along with Ken
Devereaux, will be most affected by
the extension of Side Street because
it will sever their property, is
against the extension for several
reasons. He, and others who will be
affected by the road extension,
should it occur, were given the
opportunity to air their views at a
public meeting held Monday night
in the town council chambers.
While Mr. Sills admits he has
made provision for a road through
the back of his property, he is not
in favor of it at this time.
"The idea seems to be that I
would donate the land, but if a road
were to go through, my taxes would
go up, because I'd have to pay
frontage. I'd be stupid to do it,"
'tetra to page 14
POTENTIAL SCIENTISTS - Cutting into a pumpkin and removing its insides was an interesting part of
the day for these two St. James kindergarten children. Jenny Phillips, left, and Kiera Hardie were curious
with what the inside of a pumpkin looks like. Oxford photo.
Parents critical of school building forecast
Parents who send their children to
St. Columban Separate School and
St. Patrick's Separate School, Dul-
bin, don't believe the five year
building forecast is good enough,
said Trustee Steve Murray at Mon-
day night's meeting.
They feel their
needs are being overlooked despite
their long support of the board.
Nevertheless, the forecast was
passed. Murray was the only trustee
opposed.
The amalgamation of the schools
four years ago saved two teachers'
salaries per year, at $40,000 each
and a total savings of $500,000 in
the first six years. When schools in
Zurich and Stratford amalgamated,
the savings went back into the
schools. Parents feel the savings of
the St. Columban/Dublin amal-
gamation are not coming back to
the community.
Neither school has a gym al-
though the Dublin school has an
all-purpose room. Murray said this
room is too small and the roof is
too low. Students cannot play vol-
leyball and basketball. Dublin has
won many pennants for outdoor
sports but few for indoor sports
because of the lack of facility.
classes, and a library geared to
primary children. St. Columban has
a large amount of land on which a
proper gym and change room,
library, and classrooms could be
built for the older students.
Chairperson Vincent McInnes
He suggested reversing the assured Murray if the money is
schools putting the primary classes available from the ministry, St.
in Dublin, whose all-purpose room Columban/Dublin will be the first
is more suitable for younger to get the funding, but admired that
children: build two kindergarten is a big "if."
HARVEST SLOW GOING - Farmers are having a tough time
getting their fall harvest completed because of the rainy weather
of late. Bill Kerslake of RR 2 Staffa, however, managed to get at
his grain com last week. Robinet photo.
Fall harvest difficult
BY HEATHER ROBINET
Area farmers are having a
difficult time this year at harvest.
Hampered by rain, most are a
month behind schedule, having
first waited out the rainfall, then
having had to struggle with
heavy machinery through plenty
of mud in the fields.
"The harvesting is progressing
as rapidly as the farmers can get
the crops off the fields," com-
mented Robert Humphries, of
the Ontario Ministry of Agricul-
ture and Food office in Clinton.
"But farmers are having dif-
ficulty because of the excess
moisture of late. There are still
many acres waiting to be har-
vested."
According to Mr. Humphries
approximately 20 per cent of the
county's white beans and soy
beans are still in the fields, and
the grain corn crop is virtually'
untouched. Ironically the same
combines used to harvest the
grain corn are used to harvest
the beans, except that the head
has to be changed. Switching a
head is not an easy operation,
meaning one crop has to be
totally harvested before another
can be started.
"There's a lot of revenue in
jeopardy," commented Mr.
Humphries.
"These (white beans, soy beans
and grain corn) are pretty major
crops in terms of money, and
there are literally millions of
dollars out there. Farmers are ill
at ease knowing their livelihood
is at stake."
Turn to page 14
Phone lines out
BY SUSAN OXFORD
Seaforth residents were isolated from the world Wednesday, October
24 when a Bell Canada fibre optic cable was damaged by a farmer
working on his property. All incoming and outgoing long distance calls
could not pass though Seaforth and surrounding areas, and the only
local exchange open was to Dublin.
The fibre optic cable was broken on a farrn between Seaforth and
Clinton at about 2 or 3 p.m. and was reported to Bell Canada a short
time afterward. Work on the fibre optic cable commenced about 5 p.m.
after a special crew trained in fibre optic repair arrived from Sarnia. All
telephone services were restored at 7:30 p.m.
Tony Duckett, Regional Manager of Customer Services for Bell,
Stratford, said, "The farmer did not call Bell to locate cables on his
property before he started the work. He was working on some culverts
when he broke the cable with his tractor. Bell may proceed with a
property damage claim against the farmer.
e ask people to call Bell first before they start digging to locate
any cables there may be on their property. Sometimes the locating can
be done over the telephone. Other times we have to send out a
technician to do the locating. We try to get them out to the site as
quickly as possible."
Despite the 'Call Before You Dig' service offered by Bell, Mr.
Duckett said many people don't call and "cables are cut all the time,"
"The vast majority of cables that are accidentally cut could have been
prevented by people telephoning before they di ," said Mr. Duckett.
i
"Bell can retrieve the money spent on the repairs by taking legal action
and making a property damage claim. We're looking into that in this
case."
Bell Canada is replacing copper wire cables with fibre optics.
Electronic messages are carried through fibre optics with a laser light.
Fibre optics can send more messages over the lines, have a higher
clarity and take up less space than copper wires. While it is expensive
for Bell to replace copper with fibre optics now, in the long term it will
be more cost efficient as copper has become very expensive.
As a result of the incident Seaforth was left with no emergency
services as most of those are handled out of town. Seaforth ambulance
calls go through London, but Wednesday the telephones in Seaforth
were manned and the ambulance crew also relied on portable radios.
Seaforth police calls go through Goderich and the dispatch advised
Tura to page 14
Deserving residents are voted recipients of Citizenship Awards
BY HEATHER ROBINET
Seaforth and area is abundant
with residents deserving of special
mention, but the Seaforth
Recreation and Parks Committee
has once again managed to single
out three particularly deserving
individuals, for its 1990 Citizenship
Awards.
CiViC SERVICE
Joyce Ribey of Goderich Street
West in Seaforth has been chosen
as the recipient of the Civic Service
Award.
A wife, a mother of four children,
and a part time ward clerk at the
Seaforth Community Hospital, one
would think Mrs. Ribey is already
busy enough. Yet despite her al-
ready busy life, she always seems
to find time, or make time, for
community services.
Mks. Ribey has spent many hours
in the past. and continues to spend
many hours now, with the Seaforth
Guide Movement. As Chairperson
of the Parent Committee she offers
support for the Guiding leaders, and
organizes such things as fundraising
ventures, outings and other special
activities.
For four years now, Mrs. Ribey
has also worked conscientiously in
organizing the Midwestern Ontario
Show and Sale, and is especially
involved in the Doll and Miniature
Show, and to a lesser degree, the
Quilt Show as well.
She also assists with the Fall Fair,
and is a Past President of the
Employee Relations fund at the
Seaforth Community Hospital.
Her "behind the scenes" efforts
and ideas for the Santa Claus
Parade have also contributed to its
success.
"Whether the one in need be a
child, senior citizen, fellow worker,
neighbor or organization, Joyce
does not think twice about volun-
teering time where and when it is
needed. She is one who truly has
the interests of the community at
heart and is a sincere and genuine
person," commented hex nominator,
Carol Baker.
"i feel that Joyce is one of the
doers of our community and often
goes unrecognized for het services.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had
more people like her."
in her typically selfless fashion,
Mrs. Ribey credited others for her
award.
"if i didn't have the family 1
have, and all the great people who
work for us, all the things I do
would never get done," she said.
"They're super and behind us all
the way - they answer phones and
work at every activity. They're
really the people who need to be
thanked and recognized. I wouldn't
be able to do it without'them."
Mrs. Ribey admitted she was
surprised to receive the award,
because she doesn't view what she
does as something she needs to be
recognized for.
"The only way tobea partof any
community, is to be involved in it,"
she said. "it's only what you put
into it that you get out."
Mrs. Ribey intends to continue
her involvement, although she does
admit she's trying to delegate, or
share the workload a bit more.
it (getting involved) is con-
tagious. It's hard to stop. But time
with family is valuable, and you
have to organize your time well in
order to get the benefit of the years
your children are growing up,"
she said.
HUMANITARIAN SERVICE
Shirley Dinsmore of West Street
is Seaforth's choice for the
Humanitarian Service Award.
A wife, a mother, grandmother of
SHIRLEY DINSMORE
HUMANITARIAN SERVICE
five, and full time employee of
Champion Road Machinery in
Goderich, Mrs. Dinsmore is another
Seaforth individual that refuses to
lex an already full plate deter her.
JOYCE RIBEY
CIViC SERVICE
RiCK WOOD
SERVICE TO SPORT
"You don't stop to think is there fit it in, not when am 1 going to
time for something, you make find time."
time," she said. And she's obviously fit in a lot of
"if there's a job that has to he activities.
done, you ask yourself when can 1 Tarn to peg, 14
4
4