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The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1972-05-04, Page 1Ninety-eighth Year EXETER, ONTARIO, MAY 4, 1972 Price Per Copy 20 Cents ?I • Would be expensive project to have 'official jail museum' • Province offers survey help HURON SCHOOL ART SHOW — Thursday afternoon, most elementary schools in Huron County participated in an Art Show at JAD McCurdy school at Huron Park. The above picture gives a general view of the auditorium filled with interesting exhibits, T-A photo GB tries for settlement GRAND MASTER VISITS — The annual ladies' night reception for the Grand Master and Past Masters' Association of the Masonic Lodges of South Huron District was held Wednesday at the Exeter Legion hall with more than 300 persons in attendance. The Grand Master MW Bro. William Bailey of Toronto was present. Shown above after the dinner are, from the left, Grand Chaplain Thomas Davies, also of Toronto, Grand Master Bailey, Mrs. Davies, Mrs. Harry Strang, Mrs. Bailey and South Huron District Deputy Grand Master Harry Strang. T-A photo Train crashes spreader, tractor driver unscathed After a closed session of council, Monday night, Reeve John Payne said an attempt would be made to reach an amicable settlement with the owners of Monetta Menard's Tavern and the Bonnie Doone Manor over the controversial 'post situation' on the beach at Grand Bend. Spindrift Inns Ltd., owners of the Menard property received an interim injunction from the Supreme Court of Ontario for- bidding the village from trespassing on beach property End debate on fluoride Exeter council decided this week not to conduct any further studies into the feasibility of adding fluoride to the local drinking water supply. PUC manager Hugh Davis reported the Commission had studied the matter as far as they could go and they would now have to hire a firm to prepare a cost estimate. In a letter to council this week, Davis said the content of the four water sources had been tested and they were found to contain a natural fluoride content ranging from .2 to 1.4 parts per million. He said the ideal content was 1.2, Deputy-Reeve Don MacGregor said he could see no need at the present time to continue the study of the matter. Mayor Jack Delbridge pointed out that fluoride was a poison and some people complain about it being added to the water supply, "We're not arguing against the value of it (fluoride)," Councillor Helen Jermyn noted, adding that council could not spend the money on such studies at the present time. Start plans on town all The architectural firm of Murphy, Schuler, Green & Martin have been engaged by Exeter council to start plans for a new town hall. A representative of the firm met with members of the town hall committee last week and indicated that the first two phases of the project could be undertaken at an approximate cost of $4,400, The first of these two phases would be to interview the various department heads as to their needs in the new building and conduct other studies and preparatory work. The second phase would entail preparing floor plans and a scale model. At their meeting, Monday, council also dissolved the com- mittee which had been set up to consider a new town hall and then named a special building com- mittee consisting of truce Shaw, Mery Cudmore, Tom MacMillan and Ken Ottewell. The committee will be given power to add additional members from the community as the need arises. claimed by the business establishments. Posts erected in front of the two properties for patron parking in 1970 were removed by council about six weeks ago. A short time later they were put up again. Two weeks ago, council removed the fences in front of the Menard property but Mel Douglas, owner of the Bonnie Doone refused to allow his posts to be torn down. After the meeting, village solicitor Bill Dyer of London said he would meet with solicitors of the two property owners in an attempt to reach a settlement, He added, "If a settlement isn't possible, then council will fight it through the courts." In an open session earlier in the evening attended by about 20 interested village residents, Dyer warned council to be careful about making any statements on the issue because they could be prejudicial to the case. "We shouldn't make any pronouncements on the merits of the action as it is in the hands of the court." Council claims it has a lease from the department of lands and The Ontario Junior "D" champion Exeter Hawks will receive two jackets for their efforts in bringing the town its first provincial hockey cham- pionship. Exeter council agreed this week to donate $650 for the purchase of a sports jacket and a fall and summer jacket to the 26 players, coaches, managers and other team officials. Total cost of the jackets is $1,750. Harvey Pfaff and Bob Pooley of the Exeter Minor Hockey Association appeared before council to request financial assistance to honor the team and its officials. Pfaff explained that the Association did not have enough money to recognize the players and also noted that $1,100 of the total cost was actually owing the forests covering the disputed area while owners of the restaurant and tourist home also claim possession. Dyer said he had received an offer from the provincial government through Lambton MPP Lorne Henderson to pay half of the cost of a survey to determine the boundaries of the 27.5 acres of land included in the village lease. About a year ago, the govern- ment turned thumbs down on a request by Grand Bend council that they receive financial help in the survey. Mr. Dyer produced a deed to the Spindrift properties drawn up in 1969 when the land was pur- chased, He also had in his possession a copy of a ruling made at that time by Lambton County Court judge Roland Carscallen, Ir read in part, "good title has been shown in the vendor to the said lands." Reeve John Payne told the 20 villagers at the open meeting the fences are spoiling the beach, which is the main attraction of the village and will create players from last year. In the 1971 playoffs, the boys were given a split of the games that amounted to that total and they had decided to purchase jackets. However, only four had been measured up and the jackets were never puchased. Pooley pointed out that council last year had given the players a gift for reaching the finals and he also reminded council that a former Intermediate "A" club in Exeter had been given jackets for performing the same feat. Mayor Jack Delbridge said the team deserved some special recognition and contended it would be better for those con- tributing to put their money into one pot to purchase jackets rather than providing several small gifts. At their last meeting, council had considered giving the team members a plaque. There are times when owning property can be a real pain in the neck, and Huron County council is experiencing that strange phenomenon right now. It has the former Huron County Jail in Goderich listed among its assets - and it may he awhile before council is agreed upon the best way to dispose of the premises. At Thursday's meeting, the property committee brought in a recommendation that the jail be converted into a museum of penology - in other words, a collection of authentic artifacts from history which would tell the story of Ontario's penal in- stitutions from the early 19th century to present day - and onward in time ad infinitum. The recommendation was bolstered by the appearance at council of A. S. Nuttall, Executive Assistant to the Deputy Minister of Correctional Services for Ontario and V. N. Styrmo, Senior Museums Adviser, Ontario Department of Public Records and Archives, and Mrs. Pauline Hall, Associate Adviser. Speaking to council, Nuttall said his department could not offer money - only co-operation in the event a museum of penology was established in Huron. He said he could promise an outstanding collection of genuine penal "restraints" such as old and modern handcuffs, irons, lashes and an authentic gallows com- plete with hangman's trap. He pledged the department's continuing support of this venture since it would be the only one of its size, scope and authenticity in the province. In fact, Nuttall said Huron's museum of penology would be designated the province's "official jail museum." Nuttall further stated that certain prisoners from Ontario's jails could be brought to Goderich to restore the jail to its original state. For instance, the modern- Sewers doubtful Mayor predicts Council's plan to complete the Exeter sewer system this year will apparently be delayed until 1973. Mayor Jack Delbridge told council this week it was "pretty doubtful" that approval would be received in time to have the sewer project undertaken this year. He made the comment during a discussion about the lease on the vacant 50 acres at the lagoon site. About half that amount will be required for the two new cells which will be built and there was some question of whether or not the land should be leased again this year when the construction was being considered, Members felt it would be inadvisable to lease the land and then have to pay for the crop if the land was required before harvest time. Lorne Keller has leased the land in the past at a cost of $25 per acre. He will be offered the remaining 25 acres. Jack Underwood appointed to RAP Jack Underwood, Pryde Boulevard, was named as a member of Exeter's RAP committee by council this week. He fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Jim Newby. A teacher at the Centralia College of Agricultural Technology, Underwood is president of the Exeter Figure Skating Club. day pale green paint would be covered in "drab grey," An interesting feature of the museum, Nuttall concluded would he to include the arts and crafts made by prisoners in the province's present jails and thereby rounding out the full story of penal punishment in Ontario, The second speaker to address council on the project was V. N. Styrmo. He pulled no punches, telling the members that while the former Huron County Jail was an ideal site at which to contain a museum on the theme of penology, it would be an ex- pensive undertaking. "When you start a museum, it has no foreseeable end," Styrmo advised the members of council, who perhaps understood better than many what he meant because they have seen the bills for Huron County's Pioneer Museum of North Street in Goderich. Styrmo said that while "preserving an imposing structure with historical significance" was a noble am- bition, alterations would be necessary to make it serviceable as a public building and operational costs would be considerable. "The cost could be phenominal," Styrmo told council. "You have a 100-year head start on deterioration. But — Please turn to Page 3 Stephen township council were busy Tuesday night opening tenders. A total of 35 bids were received for various municipal jobs. A total of 11 bids were received on closed work on the Webb municipal drain with Parker and Parker of Hensall being the successful bidder at $2,438.60. L. H. Turnbull and Son of Grand Bend submitted the lowest of five tenders on the Swartz drain at $1,547 and the lowest of four on the Turner drain at $1,776. The Dinney drain work will be done by Robert Nicholson of Sebringville for $1,325, the lowest of four tenders received. Tile for the Webb drain con- struction will be purchased from Coldstream Concrete Limited for a total price of $3,715.90. Five other bids were received on the tile, Westeel Rosco Limited presented the lowest bids for two culvert jobs at Lot 10, Concession 18 and 19 and Lots 20 and 21, A Kippen area farmer escaped unhurt Friday when a farm vehicle he was towing was demolished by a CNR trtain. Keith Lovell, RR 2, Kippen, was operating a tractor pulling a fertilizer spreader on his farm and had just crossed the level crossing when the train smashed into the spreader. It was demolished, but the tractor and Lovell escaped un- scathed. The mishap occurred about 11:30 a.m. Engineer on the train Concession 13. The prices were $3,937.60 and $4,838.90 respec- tively. Another tape theft reported in district Owners of auto tape players continue to be victimized by theives in the area. This week, Danny Stuckless, Huron Park, reported the theft of a tape player and tapes from his car while it was parked at his residence. It was the only theft reported by Exeter OPP this week. The Exeter Veterinary Clinic has been rehired to catch dogs in Exeter, Fee is expected to be the same as last year at $215 for each of five months, or $1075. Mayor Jack Delbridge said he wasn't happy about spending the money, predicting there weren't 10 "legitimate complaints a year" about dogs. He indicated he couldn't see any reason for people complaining just because a dog wandered across their lawns. Councillor Helen Jermyn said the committee in charge were worried that the dog problem could get out of hand if there was no dog catcher and added that, hiring one did serve as a deterrent even though not many canines were picked up, Councillor Ken Ottewell was critical of the fact the committee had not investigated the operation of a dog trap similar to the one used in Seaforth. was Harold Kelly, London. Damage to the train and the fertilizer spreader was estimated at $2,000. It was one of five accidents investigated by the Exeter OPP detachment officers this week. Three persons were injured. Two of the injuries occurred in one accident, it taking place on Saturday. A car driven by Donald Dietrich, Dashwood, skidded out of control on the Mt. Carmel Road east of the hamlet and rolled into the ditch. Council rescinded a motion passed earlier in the year allowing an additional township wolf bounty of $15. A provincial bounty of $30 was eliminated by the last Ontario budget and the township has followed suit. Land severances applications by Norman Romphf of Greenway and Fred Brown, Concession 6, north of Crediton were approved. Permission was given Alphonse Grenier to construct a small garage as an addition to his restaurant and service station at the westerly end of Dashwood. Small garage repairs will be carried out in the new building. Get prices on area hail Members of a Kirkton- Woodham committee to con- struct a community hall for the two areas will be meeting with several contractors this week to get approximate prices on construction costs. Bill Morley, chairman of the committee said after a Thursday meeting attended by about 60 interested persons said, "we will be trying to get some true prices in the next couple of weeks." Another meeting will be called as soon as the necessary in- formation has been gathered. Morley had said earlier he would like to see a hall built that would accommodate about 300 people for dances and banquets. Chief completes Aylmer course Police Chief Ted Day has completed a two-week course at the Aylmer Police College. He returned to duty this week and presented the April police report to council. Monday. During the month there were nine accidents with damages of $1,360. Thirteen persons were charged under the Highway Traffic Act and another 29 were given warnings. There were four charged under the Liquor Control Act and six persons received parking tickets. Additional information was as follows: four cases of wilful damage, one place of business found insecure, one investigation under the Narcotic Control Act, one theft of over $50 with loot of $120 and three thefts of under $50 with total loss of $56 of which $40 was recovered, three break and — Please turn to Page 3 Roast at Hensall 'done to a crisp' A Hensall area family had a chance for a "well cooked roast" Monday night but probably tossed it out. The Exeter fire department was called to the home of Carl Payne in Hay township on No. 4 highway, just south of Hensall at 5.30 p.m. Tuesday to extinguish a fire in the oven. Fire Chief Gary Middleton said the stove was severely damaged. Okay $650 to help buy Hawks jackets LADIES' RIDE FOR CANCER — Close to 20 area ladies joined in the Ride for Cancer Sunday from Exeter to Dashwood. Most of the girls were able to make the 16 mile round-trip in about two hours. Shown at the starting line are, from the left, Ruby Ilinlayson, Mary O'Brien, Valerie Horobin, Debbie Hillman, Marlene Parsons, Debra Newby, Elaine Fletcher, Connie Gwalchmai, Lois Prance, Marlene Mathers, Doris Hackney, Joan McCallum, Dolly Mattson, Velma Baird, Norma Jones, Kathy Snell, Jo-Ann Hayman and Norma (Norm) Whiting. T.A photo GOODIES OF ALL KINDS— Grade three students at Exeter public school staged a bake sale Friday morning with proceeds going to the proposed adult workshop for the mentally retarded. Displaying some of their goodies are Kelly Finnen, Rob Smith, Barbara Orr and Sheila Eisenschink. T-A photo Stephen cancel wolf bounty, busy with tender openings Rehire vet clinic to catch local dogs He was told the police would not look after it. "They'd be high- priced help as dog catchers," Mrs. Jermyn claimed. Ottewell replied that a youth could be hired full time to look after the trap at a cost lower than hiring a dog catcher. However, it was explained there would be no place to take the dogs in Exeter and it would be unfair to make people drive to London, Kirkton or Zurich to claim their animals. Ottewell was also critical of the committee members' contention that people with complaints should be. required to give their names to police. He said this was putting the responsibility back on people and it should be sufficient for them to tell the location of the dog without giving their names. Mrs. Jermyn said the com- mittee hoped to get monthly reports this year from the local clinic regarding the number of animals picked up, A passenger in the car, Debbie Lewis, Parkhill, received several bruises, while the driver sustained a fracture. Constable Bill Lewis in- vestigated and set damage at $500. On Friday, a truck driven by Victor Stellingwerff, Forest and a car driven by John Fowler, Grand Bend, collided on Highway 81 north of the Crediton Road. Fowler received a minor laceration and damage in the crash was listed at $1,500 by Constable Ed Wilcox. A car operated by John Guenther, Dashwood was badly smashed in an accident on the Crediton Road at 6:10 a.m. Sunday. Guenther had been westbound and the vehicle went out of control and crashed into five guideposts west of Shipka. Total damage was set at $1,150 by Contable Lewis. The other crash was reported Saturday when a ear operated by — Please turn to Page 3