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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1989-02-22, Page 150 cents a copy J INDEX Births - A4 Hensall - A5 Obituaries - A6 Dublin - A6 Cranbrook - A13 Walton - A16 Brazil offers experience of lifetime. See page A5. Hur n oitor Serving the communities and areas of Seaforth, Brussels, Dublin, Hensall and Walton Seaforth, Ontario HURON EXPOSITOR, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1989 Chief's position to stay Members of the Seaforth and Area Fire Board were unanimous in their decision Thursday not to make the position of Fire Chief a full time one. They had been re- quested by current chief George Garrick to investigate the feasibility of such a move. Mr. Garrick had indicated, most recently in a visit before Seaforth Town Council, that the job of Fire Chief had involved far more hours than he had anticipated when he took the job three years ago. He also indicated it might be difficult toget a volunteer chief in the future, because of the work required. Chief Garrick also said he expected the job offire chief would require still more hours in the future, especially with amend- ments to such things as the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the creation of new standard laws for equipment operation, and the impending passing of the WHMIS legislation. "The days of running a fire department by the seat of a fella's pants is quite soon to be over," he said. "There's more work involved now. There are changing laws, more documentation needed, more maintenance - and a lot of these things are going to have to start being done in the daytime." , Chief Garrick added that he logged over 1,200 hours in 1988, and was unable to do the majority of the inspections or safety courses that should be done. He also noted like most volunteer fire chiefs he holds down another job, a job which is beginning to suffer at the hands of his responsibilities as fire chief. He had been the only one willing to take over from former chief Harry Hak three years ago. I'm working part time on my own, and it's starting to hurt my own business too," he said. "It used to be the chief was someone with their own business, because when they were off the job, they still had someone bringing in the money. Once I'm off the job I'm losing $14/hour. You're not making near that on the fire department." However, Rowena Wallace, chairman of the Fire Board, said the board felt "there wasn't sufficient workload to warrant a permanent fire chief's position at this time". She added however, that that could change in the future. part-time. ois. Wallace noted the Seaforth and Area Fire Fighters only expended a total of 57 hours in 1988 to fight fires, and while that figure is subject to change from year -to-' year, the area covered by the board is relatively small. Cost also was a factor ite board's deci- sion, since many of the townships are served by more than one fire department. Tuckersmith Township, for example, is served by four fire departments: Seaforth, Clinton, Brucefield and Hensall'. The board did note that having a full time fire chief seemed to be a growing trend, and something small towns are going to have to face again in the future. In the meantime they've offered Chief Garrick, subject to approval by all council's involved, an eight per cent, or $1,000 in- crease on his present $12,500 salary and a 'continuation of his $1,500 per year car allowance. If the board had voted in favor of having a full time Fire Chief, Chief Garrick had requested a salary of $30,000 per year. Chief Garrick is a fully qualified Fire Chief, having recently completed the final three week session of a 12 -week course spread over the last three years. RETURNED HOME, after 16 months in Zambia, is James Samna. Mr. Sampa arrived In Seaforth on Tuesday, February 14 after having spent the past 16 months lecturing in his native Zambia on landscape design and landscape architecture. Mr. Sampa is seen here with his children Malindima and Jaymie, who he has not seen since they came to visit him in Africa during the summer. Corbett photo. Police to be A letter of complaint from a Seaforth resident, concerning parking on Seaforth's Main Street, evoked some heated debate at the recent meeting of Seaforth Town Council. The letter, which stated a local resi- dent's annoyance at the difficulty in ob- taining a parking space on the Main Street, also named merchants, store employees and councillors as unnecessary users of these spaces. There is off-street parking available to merchants. "How disturbing and frustrating it is to drive down the Main Street on any business day and see merchants' and store employees' cars and councillors' cars, as well, occupying spaces! Don't councillors and merchants realize this drives seniors to other more convenient locations for shopping?," wrote Muriel McLachlan. "The plans of the BIA will come to naught unless you take action to rid the u :,'.I, , tr, et of this nuisance at once." asked to ticket offenders Council agreed that Main Street parking was a problem in Seaforth, but some of its members, noting merchants had already been asked to discontinue the practice on numerous occasions, were uncertain of how to approach it effectively this tune around. They also noted there has been in- creased traffic on the Main Street recently making the parking situation even worse. "I don't think they care about the two huur paretung Lunt, commented Reeve Bill Bennett about the complaints. "In this letter she's talking about the merchants and employees who are park- ing on the Main Street. Mayor Hazel Hildebrand suggested no matter who they were, anyone parked more than two hours on the Main Street should get a ticket. Someone else pointed out that some mer- chants are content to simply pay the fines, as long as they are guaranteed the conve- nience of parking on Main Street. A sug- Headway made at General Coach A step toward the resolution of the lockout at General Coach in Hensall was taken on Monday, February 20 at a meeting between the coapny and union negotiators. "The company and the union's bargaining committee made major gains towards resolving the present labour dispute and br- inging our employees back to work," said .Andrew Imanse, Manager of General Coach. The company proposed a three year con- tract which offers: Eff ctive. November 1, 1988 (retroactive) Al a 40 cents per hour increase, Effective November 1, 1989, a 40 cents per hour increase, and a second 40 cent increase on November 1, 1990. In addition Employees OHIP premiums for January and February 1989 will be paid for by the company, and a dental rates break was included in the agreement. The company is anticipating the union membership to vote on the collective agree- ment, and looks forward to commencement of production as soon as possible. 1 gestion by Councillor Garry Osborn, that a by-law be passed to raise the fine to $50 after three offences, got lost in the discussion. "Don't the merchants realize they're losing money out of their own pockets by doing that (parking on Main Street)?," asked Councillor Bill Teall. "If you're shopping out of town you don't mind walking a few blocks, but when you're in Seaforth, if you can't park within a half a block, you say you'll come back later." Councillor Osborn insisted the problem did not lie with the merchants, but with the police force, who, he said, have not been enforcing the parking. "We pass this year after year - we've got to enforce it," he said. Councillor Osborn said he felt the Seaforth Police Department should be en- couraged to do more foot patrol on the Main Street, and at the same time enforce the town's parking by-law. He negated a remark by Deputy -reeve Peg Campbell that the job of handing out tickets belonged to Special Constable Pam Soontiens. "They (the police) have just said they needed to give Pain more hours to do bookwork. If they (the men) are not doing bookwork, what are they doing?," he argued. "Why is this job designated to Pam? Why can't our police officers ticket vehicles? Is it specified in their job that they don't have to ticket vehicles? We don't need to send the merchants a letter. We need to give them a ticket." "Why don't they (the police) do a little PR work out on the street. If there was an election for their job I don't even think the Turn to page 12A . PUC saw hydro sales increase It has been a better year than anticipated for the Seaforth Public Utilities Commission. Ontario Hydro accountants have reviewed the -utility's year and found working funds are right on budget, the utility sold more power in 1988 than anticipated, and the utili- ty will see a higher income than anticipated. PUC Manager Tom Phillips • says it is a variety of small increases in customer de- mand -a full commercial district, new health care facilities, a long hot summer - which may add up to a large increase in the utility's income. Municipal auditors will do their review in February, and confirmed information will be available. In other PUC business, there was a water - main break on Crombie Street involving the service feeding the Canadian•Tire store, on February 8 at'il p.m. The crack, created by frost and the pounding of trucks driving over the main, was repaired the following morning, but did -good the parking lot at Canadian Tire beforNt was repaired. The new submersible pump at the Chalk Street well has been installed and tested, and is available in the event of an emergen- cy. Once a valve for the pump arrives it will be phased in with the rest of the water system. The ,commission was informed that the utility's outside workers local union, the In- ternational Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, intends to re -negotiate the terms of the current collective agreement which expires March 31, 1989. The office staff and manager also gave notice of their intent to re -negotiate their current agreement. A drawing of the proposed subdivision, Royal Orchard Homes, was reviewed by the commission. The plan met with the commis- sion's recommendations in it ,.water specifications, but minor changes to the hydro system were recommended. There were ,no problems reported as a result of the voltage reduction tests done on January 47. HCBE, teachers reach temporary settlement The Huron County Board of Education ' and its elementary school teachers have reached a tentative settlement in their negotiations. The agreement was reached at a meeting between the Board's negotiators and the provincial executive of the teachers' associations. The meeting was held in London on Tuesday, February 14, 1989, and the settlement was negotiated with the help of mediator David Whitehead. No details will be made available until both parties ratify the agreement. The Board will vote on the agreement at its regular meeting on March 6. The teachers voted to ratify on Monday at the Goderich Township Hall in Holmesville. THE GENERAL STORE was an Important part of pioneer life, so the students at SPS assembled one for Heritage Day on Monday. Seen here a shopkeeper tries to Interest a pioneer in a lantern, For more photos see pane 16.