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The Lucknow Sentinel, 1987-03-18, Page 1r ESTABLISHED IN 1873 "THE SEPOY TOWN" ON THE HURON -BRUCE BOUNDARY Chris Maize, 10,a nd Tanya Maize, 9, of Dungannon lace on their skates to take part inthe annual Kinsmen Club's Skate-a-thon at the arena on March 16. Approximately 50 skaters took part in the day -long event. (Alan Rivett photo) New grant arrangement good news for arena A new recreation grant arrangement by the province has prompted the Lucknow Arena Board to make a motion to proceed with plans to complete the first phase of the proposed arena project at its meeting on March 12. The Arena Board motioned Arena manager Bill Hunter to make the applica- tion for a capital grant from the Ontario Ministry of Recreation and Tourism (MRT) and to contact Art Clark of Maitland Engineering Services Ltd. in Wingham for a cost estimate of the first phase of the area which will include dress- ing rooms, washrooms, lobby, meeting rooms and lunch counter, etc. Mr. Hunter explained that the new grant structure offered by the MRT will enable the arena board to apply for a one-third capital grant for the first phaseof the arena, And, if the arena board decided to go ahead with building the remainder of the arena in five year's time, another capital grant could be received on the same project. The board could also apply for a conversion grant which would pay for repairs to the arena roof with a one-third government subsidy. Prior to the new grant structure, capital grants were "one shot deals" per facility, he said. Mr. Hunter said he received news of the new grant structure from C. M. ( Bud) Bit - ton, the recreation consultant with the Hanover office of the Ministry of Recrea- tion and Tourism. Mr. Hunter said Mr. Bit - ton is "interested in the project" with Lucknow rated as a high priority project. Mr. Hunter said, under the new Ministry criteria for capital and conversion grants, the maximum one-third capital grant is $500,000 while the maximum conversion grant would be $100,000. The deadline for the program is May 1 at the Hanover office which would transfer the application to Toronto in the next 15 days. Approvals for the program would be given prior to June 25, 1987. A feasibility study which the ministry re- quires prior to the approval. of capital grants, said Mr. Hunter, could be avoided with a similar study on the arena done three. years ago by himself. He said Mr. Bitton would be willing to re -work the study so it will meet ministry standards. Ashfield Reeve Allan Gibson reasoned that, at a rough figure of $500,000 for the first phase of the project, the breakdown would include a one-third or a $188,000 con- tribution by the province, with a $200,000 contribution by the fund-raising commiit- tee which would leave $112,000 to be split by the four municipalities, translating into an estimated $28,000 per municipality. The major stumbling block in the project has been the Village of Lucknow's inability to support the project financially, due to"a large impending expenditure for new sewers for the village. However, according to Lucknow Arena Board representative Ab Murray, the village could pay its $28,000 for the first phase over two years. "If it goes ahead in two phases, we ( the village) can pay for it out of capital money in two years. It's been a light winter, and hopefully we can transfer some money towards that," he said. However, Mr. Murray expressed Lucknow council's concern that the capital funding be done on a 25 per cent shared basis with the other three townships as the operating costs are currently on a 35, 23, 23, 19 per cent ratio among Lucknow, Ashfield, Kinloss and West Wawanosh, respectively. He also_ hoped that the capital costs would not exceed $50,000 per municipality on the first phase. Ashfield Reeve Allan Gibson asked Fund -Raising Chairman Walter Arnold, who attended the meeting along with Al Hamilton of the committee, if the commit- tee had any objections to putting their funds towards the first phase of the pro- ject. So far, the committee has raised Turn to page 3 Lucknow area youth killed in bicycle accident Saturday The Kincardine OPP are still in- vestigating a motor vehicle accident on Highway 86 between Lucknow and Whitechurch which claimed the life of a Lucknow area youth on Saturday, March 14. Dead is Kristen Marie Owen, 13, of RR 1 Lucknow, who was riding her bicycle, without lights, westbound at 6:50 p.m. on Saturday was struck by a westbound vehi- cle driven by Alex E. Strong of Wingham. She was pronounced dead on arrival at the Wingham and District Hospital. Although the Kincardine OPP are in- vestigating the accident, no charges will be laid against Mr. Strong. Kristen Marie Owen was the daughter of Steve and Linda Owen of RR 1 Lucknow and a student at the Lucknow Central Public School. She is also survived by two sisters, Vic- toria at home and Kimberley Dobbs of London;. one brother Robert Owen of Lon- don; grandparents Jack and Mary Plumb of RR 1 Lucknow and Norman Owen of Paisley ; uncles Dave Owen of London and Roger Plurnb of Wingham; one aunt Jill Plumb of Toronto and also a great -great- aunt and uncle Lorna and Jim Soelberg of London and one nephew Shawn Dobbs. Funeral services were conducted at the MacKenzie and McCreath Funeral Home in Lucknow on Tuesday, March 17 with cremation to follow. Rev. Gerald Mac- Farlane of the Lucknow United Church officiated Citizens fight bank decision Despite ardent assurances by Royal Bank officials the twinning of the Ripley and Kin- cardine banks will not result in decreased services to Ripley customers, many village residents were left unconvinced after a meeting between the two sides on Friday. Royal Bank Regional Manager Lloyd Fraser and Ripley Manager Wayne Watson told over 160 people at the meetingthe move will make the village branch "more viable where it isn't viable now." Ripley residents, led by Glen Grubb, a spokesman for Huron and Kinlossmunicipal telephone and a client of the .Ripley bank, worried the move is the first step to the eventual closing of the branch. "It is our intention to continue indefinitely the branch. You'll get the same type of ser- vices you have been getting and we're going to stay here as long as you let us," Mr. Fraser said. "The changes were a business . deci- sion...but we did not want to change the ser- vices you people are getting in Ripley," he said. "I can assure you if we were were going to close the branch we would do it today," he said. Manager will go there to see accounts The twinning process will see current Ripley Bank Manager Watson operate out of Kincardine overseeing strictly the Ripley agricultural accounts. Mr. Watson will visit Ripley by appointment to meet with people seeking agricultural bank loans, Mr. Fraser said. His workload will be analyzed and likely expanded after a Royal Bank study, Mr. Fraser said. Other loans will be handled by various ac- count managers. Acting on a resident's suggestion, Mr. Fraser agreed to extend the banking hours by one hour - to six o'clock - on Fridays. The bank will reduce the staff from six to three full time members after twinning, Mr. Fraser said. Day to day withdrawals and deposits will be accepted at the Ripley branch but Ripley bank customers wip now have to contact Mr. Watson in Kincardine for agricultural loan approvals. Other bank services such as RRSP in- vestments will also be handled by the Kin- cardine branch. But many at the meeting grumbled that Lucknow, Chesley and Brussels had all been closed in the past three years and claimed Ripley is next. "We've seen a real flip flop here and that makes people feel uneasy: Mr. Macpherson ( Royal Bank Ontario General Manager and Senior Vice -President) talked to citizens a year ago and didn't see any changes in the near future," Mr. Grubb said. Letter said no changes expected In an Apr. 16, 1986, letter to Ripley business people and citizens, Mr. Macpher- son said: "Although I do not contemplate changes of consequence in our Ripley opera- tions in the near .future, that could change down the road." "We coo make business decisions and changes will come and we feel we are doing the best for everyone," Mr. Fraser said. The Township of Huron and the Village of Ripley have both sent letters to Mr: Mac- pherson protesting the move. "...we perceive these changes as reduction in ser- vices, affecting bank customers, the Township of Huron itself, and also most of the ratepayers of our municipality," the Mar. 3 Huron Township letter said. "We see a constant erosion of our com- munity services, and at a time when small business is being encouraged to locate in rural areas. This can only be a regressive move by one of our Corporate Citizens, the Royal Bank," it says. The Village of Ripley pointed to the pro- vincial government's recent grant of $1.5 million for recent sewage works as a Turn to page 2. Farm edition In the week's edition, the Sentinel's an- nual farm edition is featured. The two section, 48 -page special publication features numerous stories on the farming business as well as a large selection of advertisers. UCW reports The UCW reports are included in this week's paper with all the news from the monthly meetings...SEE PAGE 8. Draw winners The Lucknow Sentinel congratulates Carol Nivins and Margaret Evington who were the $25 winners in our new subscrip- tion contest and readership survey, respectively. School news In the LCPS Insider this week, the kindergarten students enjoyed some St. Patrick's Day activities. SEE PAGE 6.