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The Huron Expositor, 1990-11-28, Page 1INDEX Grads - AT Sports • BIrtIN - Al2 Wed41gs - Att 0pil1rflM - Al2 4. Servsng the communities and areas of Seaforth Brussels, Dublin, HensaM and Walton Seaforth gears up for Show and Sale. See page A3. Special sk dug helps Walton man. See page A3. Novice team tournament finalist. See page A9. Huron . X OSItOr p Seaforth, Ontario HURON EXPOSITOR, WIDNEfWAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1990 60 cents a copy 119 employees out of work BY NELLIE BLAKE AND HEATHER ROBINET General Manufactured Housing of Hensell has gone uuo receivership throwing 119 employees out of work. Bill Stuart, trustee in bankruptcy, receiver and manager for General Manufactured Housing, said Mon- day his firm was petitioned as the trustee on November 22. Vice-president of Ernst and Young Management Consultants Inc. of London, Mr. Stuart said the management company will sort out the assets of the housing company and then determine what monies will be doled out to which creditors. He said funds are distributed to creditors according to their rank of importance. He said secured creditors (the bank) will receive its share fust followed by preferred creditors down to general creditors. Neither he nor financial manager Scott Thompson could comment on how much in debt the company is. Mr. Stuart said he doesn't know when the assets of General Manufactured Housing will be determined or when its creditors will be paid off. General Manufactured Housing union representative Ken Fenwick told the Huron Expositor Monday that he was informed at 3 p.m. on Thursday, November 22, that the plant had gone into receivership. As a result 119 employees are out of work. Two employees remain at the Hensall office to help the trus- tee organize the assets. Mr. Fenwick said he was assured by the trustee that nothing further would happen until mid-December at the earliest. At that time, a decision will be made on whether or not the company's assets will be offered for sale. Apparently, there have been numerous inquiries on that subject. General Manufactured Housing is located on Oxford Street West near the arena. It had been commissioned to build the portable required by the Seaforth and District Preschool Learning Centre, for its Cooperative Daycare expansion project. PUC bill could include increase BY SUSAN OXFORD Before you open your Seaforth PUC bill in February you'd better sit down. Not only will you have to pay the GST (if the bill is passed by the Senate) on your electricity portion, but you may also pay a rate increase on that same portion. At the monthly meeting of the Seaforth Public Utilities Commis- sion (PUC), November 21, the main discussions concerned a proposed 8.44 per cent increase in the residential rates for electricity. In 1991 Seaforth PUC estimates it will spend $1.1 million on its power purchase from Ontario Hydro. The increase proposal, pan of Seaforth PUC's 1991 budget, was accepted by the Seaforth PUC com- mission and will now be submitted to Ontario Hydro for approval. An increase of 8.44 per cent would be charged as the residential rate, and 8.64 per cent would be the rate charged for general service (co- mmercial). In money terms, the residential rate increases would mean 11.50 cents per kW.h being charged on the first 250 kW.h, and 6.26 cents for each additional kW.h. The minimum charge for residential use would be $7.15, compared to $6.25 per month in 1990. The general use increase would mean 11.50 cents being charged on the first 250 kW.h, 6.88 cents charged on each additional kW.h up to 12,250 kW.h, and 4.91 cents charged on each additional kW.h. Also included in the proposed budget were capital expenditures of $187,800, which include $125,000 to purchase a new bucket truck to replace the 11 -year-old one cur- rently used by PUC workers. Seaforth Town Council must first approve a request from the PUC for a five year debenture to be taken out to finance the new truck. Operating expenses for the up- coming year are estimated to be $209,000. Also taken into the budget is the cost of testing the transformers for PCBs. Last year the Seaforth PUC broke its own record by spending $1 million on its power purchase from Ontario Hydro, and next year the PUC expects to break that record by spending $1.1 million on its power purchase. The PUC approved the recom- mendations in the budget, which now goes to Ontario Hydro for final approval. If approved soon the new rates will be shown on the February 1991 billings. Seaforth PUC manager, T Phillips, said the CrST will marked separately on customer bills. Water and sewage charges will not have the GST charged. "The water rates won't be going lip this year," said Mr. Phillips. "Town council sets the sewage rates and they were put up last summer, so they shouldn't go up again for awhile." In the regular meeting the manager reported Seaforth's equip- ment that went to Clinton Hydro office for Di -Electric was found to be in good shape. Mr. Phillips attributed this to the fact that "The Turn to page 20 Crowd condemned for lack _ BY NELLIE BLAKE CFPL Television agriculture editor Ross Daley condemned a crowd of 300 of lack of volunteer commitment at an annual meeting of the Hensall and District Co-op Novetnber 23. Mr. Daley used economics as a tie-in to his focus on volunteerism and the fact that people in Ontario don't volunteer their time or money to help fund programs in their com- munity. He said people are always depen- ding on the provincial and federal governments for funding for special programs but aren't willing to dish out the money themselves. The host of This Business of Farming, Mr. Daley said he wishes the public knew more about economics so they could understand how the government operates. He said people aren't rnwilling to take a cut in their standard of living, adding Ontarians have "lived a party over the past few years and it's our children's money that we're borrowing." Mr. Daley said people believe they care about their community but have forced the government to do •f, • the caring for them since the Second World War. An indication that people don't care, he said is people can't name their four nearest neighbours. People have also institutionalized such programs as Neighborhood Watch and Block Parents and left the caring to the govemment, he said. Caring of the elderly is also left to the government when people put senior citizens in government or privately funded homes. Mr. Daley said the populace is always crying for a cut in Turn to page 'ZU TWEENIES NOW BROWNIES - The Seaforth 1 and II Rrownies held their annual Fly 1k on Tuesday night at the F- gmondville United Church. Flying up from TweeniA to Brownies were Rack, Angela Edcertt, Kelly MacGregor, Stephanie Harrison, Erica hardy, Tammy McClure, Alicia Moody and Robyn Strangway, and front. Katie Thomas. Kate Johnston, Tammy Gooch. Kaitlyn Canon and .• et••, •• L •j•t• MCKILLOP'S NEW MACHINE - McKillop's new grader arrived at their works department November 23. The machine cost $177,000 with taxes included. The Ministry of Transportation supplemented t hase with $80,000. Standing on the grader are Larry Boyd, serviceman with Champion; Frank Hulle nd Tom Johnson, operators. In front are from left: Lome Glanville, councillor; Sharon McClure, ncillor; Jim Ryan, councillor; Bill Siemon, Deputy -Reeve; Wayne Dolmage, Road Superintendent; ane Hicknell, Reeve; Dave Wallace, Sales, Champion; and Hugh McGugan, from MTO. Oxford photo. Fathilies concerned about board decision BY MICHELE GREENE Two Goderich families are concerned about the Huron -Perth Separate School Board's decision to begin French immersion instruction at the grade 1 level instead of kindergarten. Beuy and Bruce Thomasson and Colleen and Hugh McGregor sent letters to the board outlining reasons for their support of French immersion at the kindergarten level. Mrs. Thomasson and Mrs. McGregor attended Monday night's meeting of the board. Although they support combining junior and senior kindergarten classes, they hope the board will consider offering a senior kindergarten class if the numbers warrant. They agree with the board that students at the junior kindergarten level need the extra year to strengthen their English skills and easily accept the transition from home to school. "Children at the senior kindergarten level are ready for the challenge of a second language," said Mrs. Thomasson. "Many parents at present register their children in immersion kindergarten secure in the knowlege that if there are problems within the first year the child has not lost any time academically," said the Thomassons in their letter to the board. "In the counties of Huron and Perth, there are very few opportunities outside of school to acquire expertise in our second official language," stated the McGregors in their letter to the board. St. Marys Separate School in Goderich and St. Aloysius School in Stratford are the two French immersion schools in Huron -Perth. Superintendent invited before council BY SUSAN OXFORD Rob Doig of Doig subdivision pleaded for no special treatment concerning work on the subdivision he owns when Tuckersmith Township council met November 20. In the subdivision, near Seaforth Golf Course, drainage has become a problem. Mr. Doig has received a report from an engineering firm on how to drain the subdivision, al- though he said he could've drawn the plan up himself and didn't need an engineer. The report recom- mends 29 inch deep ditches be dug along the roadway to contain and divert the runoff water. The deep ditches are recommended practice according to Ontario Standards, but Mr. Doig felt they would be dangerous, unsightly and unprac- tical. He asked council to consider allowing only 18 inch ditches to be built in some parts of the sub- division area to divert the runoff. Mr. Doig went on to tell council a precedent had been set in a similar incident and a developer was al- lowed to go below Ontario Stan- dards with permission from their council. Deputy -Reeve Bill Carnochan told Mr. Doig "If we don't have en- gineers properly engineering, we could be in trouble." Councillor Rowena Wallace told Mr. Doig "Regardless of a precedent set, if land isn't draining right it isn't acceptable." Mr. Doig pointed out to council that engineers often give themselves 300 to 400 per cent leeway in their pians to guarantee their work. He asked council to consider allowing him to make a 16 inch grade in the subdivision to help with the drainage problem. "1 feel I've been good to this township," Mr. Doig told council. "We sold you three or four acres once for a roadway for only $1. I'm not looking for favours or to be treated differently. To lower the ditches to 29 inches the gas and telephone lines will have to be lowered. I hope you can do something for me other than having to go by provincial standards." Mr. Doig left and the matter was discussed in the later part of the meeting. Mr. McGrath started the discussion by noting "There's ditches all over Egmondville." Council noted the whole purpose of the ditches was to get rid of roadwater and decided to draw up a motion saying council will accept 18 inch ditches. Mr. McGrath went further by saying "Let him put 18 inch road ditches on the east side of Mill Street, and the rest of the work he certified. The rest would have all the criteria of the original plan." After more discussion a motion was passed allowing an 18 inch ditch on the east side of Mill Street, and the east and west side of East Front Street. Mr. Carnochan, in his report on the Mid -Huron Landfill Site meeting, told council the meeting went as well as was expected. He said the new landfill site needs approval from the province, but if approval isn't received soon there will be nowhere for 21,000 people to dump their garbage. Ms. Wallace, in her report from the Ausable-Ba field Conservation Authority (ABCA), told council the ABCA is considering selling some land. "The land is surplus to their ac- tual need," she said. "It would go into residential areas and the money would go back to the authority for capital expenditures. The land is near Parkhill." Ms. Wallace then asked council how it felt about the authority's decision. Mr. Carnochan answered her "Great! SeU it. Let them raise their own money." Council then moved onto passing by-laws, and passed several. Unlike most councils, Tuckersmith does not give a by-law three actual Turn to page 20 " Fire under investigation BY SUSAN OXFORD Seaforth firefighters responded November 24 to an early morning call to an empty house in Mc iYC IOp Township, The Bee eased $20,000 in damages. The fire was at the Floggarth residence, near Jim's Flyin Service. It was discovered hy a puna delivery man and he alerted the Seaforth Pine Department at 2:30 a.m. Firefighters fought the fire and remained at the scene until almost dawn. There is fire damage to a bedmom and heat damage to than rest of the holm. The fire was shred in a bedroom closet, but the actual cause is still unknown. Seaforth ro Chief Oeiwge Garrity sod Constable Graf f the Goderich OPP are investigating.