Loading...
The Huron Expositor, 1999-01-13, Page 1Huron X vw osl or Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 - Seaforth, Ontario January 13, 1999 - $1.00 includes GST Weather was blustery as snowmobilers arrived in Walton on Sunday to watch and participate in the Snowcross event. DALRYMPLE PHOTO. Snowmobile season starts in flurry 'of activity Trail groomers try to keep up with drifting, falling snow and OPP step-up trail enforcement Todd said groomers are having' a hard nine Officers who take to the trails will be , trail permits: proper vehicle registrations and keeping up withsnow drifts that form on the checking for impaired operators, speeding. are: using the trailsproperly. trails. trespassing and other infractions. • Todd emphasizes the importance of staying They have two groomers used to keep the' In addition to the RIDE program. two.other • on the marked trails for safety and io avoid trail" packed and smooth butnthe weather officers from the Huron detachment did a . trespassing on properties or -parts of conditions have.made it -hard to keep up... patrol on the weekend from. the Goderich: properties where permission h as. not been But Todd expects the amount of snow will Clinton and Hensall areas:. given,tor riders. give them at least a traditional seasoniot eight "They're out looking for violations." -said '`Stay. on the trails: Statistics have shown a to 12 weeks with good trail conditions. :. Shropshall. ,high percentage_ot fatalities do not:happen Ain She said the snow that has fallen here 'Reports from the OPP.trail patrols were not the -trails.' she said: \ccidents more ;iften started at. the same time as the rest of the available at press -time, ciccur when driver ti veer from the trails. province which has helped this area "draw Local snowmobileclubs also halve trait Shropshall said that's when a driser risks more snowmobilers from southern locations. wardens who patrol to ensure operators ha'.e falling into a ravine or off a cliff. Last year, snowmobilers had to drive farther north to find trails with enough snow. S n owc r o c s event la un s h e d ,This year, Todd said the club' was promoting the trails in places like Sarnia and Windsor' and they are seeing -the results as more people take to the trails in this region. "There's a lot more coming that used to , travel further north.:* she said. And with more people using the trails and solid snowmobiling season expected. the OPP are also preparing: -Huron_OPP sent a fie -officer RIDE unit (Reduce Impaired Dri.ing Everywhere) from Mount Forest into the trails in north Huron County on the weekend for whatthey saw as the first big Weekend of the season. Bad weather on Sunday cancelled the training .of an additional 15 area officers. for snowmobile trail patrols. OPP Community Services Officer Don Shropshall said the officers are. being trained. so there are more available on each shift that can use., the Huron detaclt rent's two snowmobiles for trail patrols. BY SCOTT H1LGENDORFF Expositor Editor The season may have got off to a slow start but it's shaping up to be one' -of the.best snowmobile seasons -in -years. • "She's going to be -here in April." said Lois Todd.of the snow that has .continued to accumulate for more than two weeks now. Todd is president of the Brussels and Walton Trailblazers. one of several area snowmobile clubs that look after this regions official. snowmobile trails. "The groomer operators are working day and night to get the trails ready to run." Todd said. The Trailblazers look after about 150 km of snowmobile trails in neighboring . townships north of Seaforth. Withthe amount of snow that has 'fallen. she said there is a good base being built up that should be able to survive traditional thaws and bouts of sunshine. • "Compared to last year, it's excellent so • far." Todd said. The season started with unusually warm temperatures that saw people regularly golfing at the Seaforth Golf and Country Club through much of December and was beginning to ,look potentially bad for snowmobilers. Regardless, volunteers have been marking and preparing the trails since the crops were harvested and they could get on farmers' land that, by their permission. make up portions of the trail Now. with all the snow that has fallen, LeBeau trial resumes in May BY AMY ZOETHOUT Signal -Star Staff The Sarah LeBeau trial resumed Monday following a three-month adjournment and was quicklyadjourned for another three months to allow -the" defense time -to- consider new Crown evidence. LeBeau faces 11 charges stemming from a 1996 accident that killed four area youths and seriously injured another. The charges include four counts of, impaired driving causing death. one count of impaired driving. causing bodily harm, four counts of criminal negligence causing death. one. count of criminal negligence causing bodily harm and one count of impaired driving. The 22 -year-old Bru •efield woman pleaded not itilty to all charges when the trial began in Goderich in eatly September: The- Znai-'war" adjourned three weeks later to allow the Crown time tp carry out DNA testing on LeBeau and on the air bags taken from LeBeau's 1995 Camaro that was involved in the crash. On _ Monday, defense lawyer Glen Carey . requested another adjournment to allow the defense time to review further. Crown evidence.and to allow time for their own testing to be done. Only recently has the Crown produced "volumes" of additional evidence and reports from the Centre of Forensic Science in Toronto on the results of the DNA "There has been no meaningful time to properly consider this material, to react to it onto review it with my client or with our expert witnesses so we can. decide our proper course of action, said Carey. - "It's unfortunate," said Justice Tom Granger. when granting the adjournment`: CONTINUED on Page 2 Business survey results looking positive BY SCUM HILGENDORFE Expositor Editor The Business Retention and Expansion 'Committee is seeing a lot of positive information in the results of a survey it conducted of business • and industry throughout the area this fall. Joe Steffler, chair of the committee that formed through an Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) program, said they are preparing to meet and go over the results in efforts to make a report to the public. From what he's seen so far, Steffler said, It's encouraging. It's a well -worthwhile project. That's what we're seeing now." The group originally formed from area citizens who were concerned about the future of the town's business community. At the same time, a pilot project from OMAFRA that mirrored much of that group's goals. was being established. As a result. Seaforth became one of seven municipalities in Ontario to take part in the program that has surveyed area business in detail in efforts to find ways of improving and helping businesses grow and new businesses develop. The survey allowed businesses to respond CONTINUED on Page 2 at Walton racetrack While _ood .now deteriorated from there. There were many ,urpr:se, conditions this season are: • Lack of snow was notran particularly.frorn se%era! helping area: trails and I issues. The track preparation Molal up and coming racers. snowmobile clubs. they've went well . and ,the • •In the no‘tce class the top also -helped .the. Walton participants put on a'e_reat three finishers were Chris racetrack launch its first-ever' show, for the diehard -;that -Sierran Potari;) Wa"ltzin-- snowcross.event. brayed the.conditions as the Brad Pr\ce Seaforth• r;arctic. • Round two of, .the riders launched off the Can and Rob Bruinsma • Canadian Motorcycle' jumps. hammered through Godench(Polaris). The-tirst Association sanctioned the moguls and went side by heat of the day was won bv. Ontario . Snowcross side through the corners. Mike Hugill [Arctic eat Championship series was As the firs.[ successful Seaforth but unfortunately completed on Sunday at the event of the season it. was for Mike that result. was Walton racetrack despite interesting "to.see how the thrown,our due to a pileup on weather conditions which . newcomers could fair against one of the jumps on the last began as difficult and the more experienced racers. CONTINUED on Page 2 Drivers r• isking injury and fines for driving on closed highways Huron OPP are asking drivers not to go around road closure barricades. With snowbanks along. some stretches of highway that already tower above -cars-and-w i ntr-y-weather.- conditions . continuing. people can expect more area highway closures. "The decision would be made by an officer who is on the road and couldn't see," said OPP Community Services Officer . Don- Shropshall. With towering snowbanks • in places, Shropshall said windy conditions make white outs where it's impossible to see the road, making travel unsafe for motorists. At the same time. the Ministry of Transportation' could take its plow operators off the road when they find it difficult to see the road. Without plows, --Shropshall: said road conditions become more dangerous for drivers who pass the barricade. " Another reason the road could be closed is if a serious accident has taken place and the 'road is not passable. Both OPP or the Ministry of Transportation can decide to have a highway closed. • After a road hasbeen closed, conditions may look improved to drivers but. if plows had been taken off the roads, the highway may notbe passable. "It stays closed until they Iplowsl can get the snow off the main portion of the road," ,said Shropshall. "Drivers have got to give; the MTO a little time so .they can get the pTuw down there and the road open." The Highway Traffic Act prohibits a driver from'. being on a road that is. closed. People face a S 105 fine and implicatit.ns tu•the driving record if an officer observes them going around the emergency barricades that are.placed in front of,the'closed road sections. So far. only one fine: against a Clinton! than, has been given out. Seaforth man sent to hospital after assault A 30 -year-old Seaforth man was hospitalized after being severely beaten outside a New Year's dance at Seaforth and District Community Centres on Ian. 1. At about 2 a.m. OPP were called to a report of the assault and arrived to find the man being administered first aid by a local nurse. He was transported to Seaforth Community Hospital where he was admitted overnight for treatment of his injuries. The victim was not sure who assaulted him and OPP are still investigating. They are asking anyone with information on the assault to contact them or Crimestoppers.