The Huron Expositor, 1996-07-10, Page 1Feature
Egmondville man
builds giant
model plane.
See page 7
Entertainment
Fireworks
playwright has
local roots.
See page 14
Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 — Seaforth, Ontario
Briefly
Building owner
doesn't know if
he'll rebuild -
The recent Main Street fire
that destroyed a building
which housed three store-
fronts and five apartments,
owned by Anstett Jewellers,
continues to be investigated.
Co-owner Dave Anstett, of
Clinton, has not yet received
an estimate on damage from
insurance adjusters.
When asked on Monday by
The Huron Expositor if he
has any plans to rebuild,
Anstett said, "I don't know at
this point.';14
.
PP ticket
134 speeding
drivers in
Huron
In two recent weeks
Ontario Provincial Police
ticketed 134 drivers in Huron
County for speeding, as part
of an ;"aggressive driving
campaign."
Police add 45 others had
been nabbed for rules of the
road offenses, 28 tickets have
were issued for other
Highway Traffic Act offens-
es. 10 criminal code offenses,
with eight warnings, all
issued from between June
17 to July 1.
The Goderich detachment
of the OPP also says its
investigation continues into
the theft of a video camera
from the Seaforth Fire Hall
on June 15. The camera was
worth $1,200, and damage
from the break-in was about
$50.•
Users can enjoy
benefits of
coverage, says Bell
Because of three new trans •
-
mission towers. telephone
users around here "can now
enjoy the benefits of cellular
coverage for the first time."
according to Friday's press
release from Bell Mobility.
The reach of the three cell
sites, all now operational and
the closest near Beechwood,
includes Seaforth. Mitchell,
Brussels. Blyth. Wingliam.
Wroxeter. Inwood. Atwood,
Listowel and Milverton, and
the new towers effectively
extend cellular coverage to
Huron. Bruce and Perth
counties.
"Local residents, communi-
ty organizations and corpora-
tions have all told us how
much they want cellular ser-
vice," the press release 'con-
tinues. "This strong hast,
combined with the huge
influx of cottagcrs during thc
summer months and an
increase in thc amount of
commercial traffic in the
arca, prompted Bell Mobilty
to invest $2.4 -million in
developing the sites.
New airport opens
soon in Wingham
Wingham's municipal air-
port, on Highway 86 just cast
of town, has its official
grand opening next Tuesday,
July 16.
County Council
Anonymous
letters
question
county
management
BY BLAKE PATTERSON
SSP News Staff
A series of unsigned letters
addressing concerns about the
management of Huron County
raised heated discussion at
Huron County Council
Thursday.
The anonymous. letters
called Huron County's Fast
Facts have been widely dis-
tributed throughout the county
to municipal officials, private
citizens and the media over
the past six weeks.
The letters directed sarcastic
accusations at the county
administration regarding vari-
ous recent personnel deci-
sions, the financial health of
the county and the seemingly
restricted flow of county
information to county council
and the general public.
The intent of the unsigned
letters was clearly stated as an
attempt to inform the public
of supposed .truth behind the
workings of county govern-
ment.
"Are we going to sit back
and let the slime cover every-
thing that was once worth
being proud ot'?" the author of
the letters asks.
Council was split on a
motion to discuss the matter
further in closed session, but
after nearly an hour of debate,
the motion was defeated.
Coun. Tom Cunningham of
Hullett Twp., was frustrated
by the motion's narrow defeat
and said it's clear council is
not prepared to investigate the
accusations leveled against it,
and as such, those accusations
give the council 'a black eye.'
He added that silence makes it
seem as if the county is hiding
something.
"If nothing is wrong,why
not look'?" said Cunningham.
Coun. Mason Bailey of
Blyth agreed with
Cunningham and said hc
thought the letters should he
discussed to clear the air.
"Where there is smoke there
may he fire," said Bailey. He
said further discussion would
hopefully dowse any fire there
happened to be, or at least put
an end to the wide spread
rumours that arc floating
around.
Coun. Bill Micklc of Exeter
also agreed with Cunningham
and said answers are needed
because several questions
concerning the letters have
been asked of him
"If we as a council left these
lcttcrs unchallenged or unan-
swered by the county; it only
builds suspicion and specula-
tion about the operation of
this government, he said."
Coun. Bruce Machan of
Wingham, however, dis-
agreed. He said hc has a lot of
problems speaking to lcttcrs
that were unsigned.
"If you don't have thc balls
to sign it, don't ask us to look
at it," he said.
Wardcn Clifford made his
position clear -- until thc
author or authors of thc letter
comc forward, he will not take
CONTINUED on page 3
July 10, 1996 — 75 Cents Plus GST
"BIRD'S. EYE" VIEW OF FIRE - Firemen douse the last of the flames on the old building on Main Street which was left.a
smoldering shell in the big fire downtown on the recent Canada Day weekend. This photograph was snapped by Mike
O'Brien, Chief of the Goderich Fire Department, from that town's aerial ladder truck which helped get the flames under
control. The brick building, now barricaded, has an interesting history, that goes back 120 years. It was built by original
Seaforth settler Sam Stark, whose story is the topic in this week's "Scuttlebutt" column.
Huron doesn't have fire coordinator
BY DAVID EMSLIE
SSP News Staff
Huron County is without a
Mutual Aid Fire Coordinator,
and it appears that no one
wants the job.
Clinton firefighter Dean
Reid, the former chief of the
Clinton and Area Fire
Department, resigned from
the position of mutual aid
coordinator at the end of
May, and no fire chiefs in the
county are willing to take
over the position. Reid
explained that at the last
meeting of the county's fire
chiefs, a poll was taken of the
chiefs. "They were asked
directly if they would like to
be coordinator. They all said
not under the current condi-
tions."
Without a coordinator, the
county docs not have have an
official mutual aid system, or
a person who can coordinate
fire departments in the case
of an emergency.
According to a report pre-
pared by Reid for the admin-
istration, finance and person-
nel committee for the county,
the primary responsibility of
a coordinator is to "establish
and maintain an emergency
fire service plan and program
whereby all fire departments
within a defined area agree,
with formal approval from
their municipal councils, to
come to the aid of each other
under a pre -arranged. plan in
the event of a serious emer-
gency."
Reid explained that the
coordinator, while also taking
on such responsibilities as
arranging chiefs' meetings
and attending 9-1-1 meetings,
ensures that in the case of a
large fire, all municipalities
involved have the ability to
work together. "What hap-
pens if we have the situation
where four fire departments
are involved? Who's going to
take the hull by the horns?"
he asked, without a coordina-
tor.
At the same time, when
municipalities send firefight-
ers to assist other depart-
ments in The event of a major
fire, such as Clinton and
Goderich firefighters assist-
ing at a fire in Bayfield, the
coordinator ensures there is
adequate back-up in case a
fire erupts at the same time in
Clinton or Goderich. "That is
not in place anymore," stated
Les Trowsdale, Fire Service
Adviser for Huron, Elgin and
Middlesex Counties with the
Ontario Fire Marshall's
Office.
Trowsdale has sent a letter
to all the heads of council in
Huron County informing
them of the situation with the
fire coordinator, and suggest-
ing that a meeting might he
set up among municipal rep-
resentatives and area chiefs.
He explained that there is
a concern with the current sit-
uation in that municipalities
passed bylaws stating they
would participate in mutual
aid, and would thus their fire
departments be authorized to
leave the limits of the fire
area, but the bylaw also states
that they would work under
the direction of the coordina-
tor. With the resignation of •
Reid as coordinator, however,
along with the resignation of
alternate coordinator Steve
Cooke, acting chief of the
Clinton and Arca Firc
Department, Trowsdale wrote
to the municipalities, "Since
Huron County does not have
a coordinator to carry out the
assigned duties and to direct
and coordinate the activities
of fire departments dis-
patched through the mutual
aid system, I would suggest
that there is no formal mutual
aid system in effect in the.
county."
Trowsdale also suggested
that without the mutual aid
systcrn in place, municipali-
ties might choose to enter
into fire protection agree-
ments of their own with
neighboring municipalities.
The mutual aid coordina-
tor, which Trowsdale said "is
CONTINUED on page 3
Price tag high to establish Seaforth museum
and prioritize several ideas the Huron County Historical Seaforth's history, it's "time
BY DAVID SCOTT that came out of a brain- Society were invited to for a reality check," said the
Expositor Editor storming session from the Thursday's meeting to offer curator. "You're right in
first public meeting on May .suggestions and advice from keeping Seaforth stuff here
The recent Main Street fire 21. their perspectives. but there's a price -tag.
in Seaforth and what could Tom .Phillips voiced his "We'd like to preserve our Sustaining operating funding
have been lost historically, concern about how the poli- history. Look at A.Y. is the primary crunch," said
was a topic of discussion at day weekend fire could have McLean's collection. Some Breede. Huron's museum
the second meeting of people been in any Main Street material has gone other receives annual provincial
interested in preserving building and what ,if, for places. In my opinion I think grants. "You need to know
Seaforth's history. , instance, Frank Sills eaten- it should stay in Seaforth," that going into the decision -
This core group of history sivecollection of Seaforth said Mayor lrwin Johnston. making process."
enthusiasts, which met last memorabilia perished in a Latham recommended Citing examples from the
Thursday night at the town fire. Phillips said it would be establishing an archives brain -storming session, he
hall, now has a name for nice to get some of the based on Perth County's said, "Running a weekly
itself - Seaforth and Area town's artifacts to a first floor which he thinks is better than (newspaper) column is not
Heritage Preservation location in perhaps a new Huron's. Breede agreed expensive. Putting stuff in a
Committee - and it wilt con- fire -safe building. Perth's model is one of the building free from fire is
tinue to meet regularly. MUSEUM IN TOWN? best in sotujtwestcm Ontario. expensive." •
Thursday's meeting was • "This town built a hospital, But thereiaatost involved in "You can have far more
hosted by Jane Muegge of an arena. 1 think we could quality. "They have two full- articles than you can use. You
OMAFRA and Cathy build a museum," said time staff and two to three have to accept the fact that
Campbell of the Ministry of Phillips. part-time and a budget of you can only have, for exam -
Citizenship, Culture and Clause Breede, curator of about $130,000 a year. pie, one iron. But you'll get
Recreation. the Huron County Museum REALITY CHECK nine others," said Latham.
The main purpose of the and Huron Historical Jail in For "stakeholders", as Breede said partnership
meeting was to categorize Goderich and Ron Latham of Breede terms them, in CONTINUED on page 3