Huron Expositor, 1999-08-25, Page 1t1R
In brief
Public
•
meeting
delayed
until
five
partners
merge
A public meeting to
review restructuring plans
will not take place until
the Seaforth, Tuckersmith
and McKillop Township
plan has been
successfully merged with
that of Grey Township
and Brussels.
Grey and Brussels were
accepted into
restructuring talks with
the other three
municipalities last month
but the original three.
continued to meet,
preferring to complete the
almost finished plan for
just the three.
The idea was that it
would be easier to merge
the two than for all five
to start over again.
Clerk -Treasurer Jack
McLachlan gave council
a restructuring report
which details how the
town and townships
would merge.
Copies of the report
have 'gone to the
councillors of all three
municipalities with time
for them to review the
information, ask
questions and raise any
concerns.
Then, each council will
be asked to accept the
report.
A public meeting was
planned to go over that
information before a final
restructuring plan is
accepted but now, the
three municipalities will
meet with Grey and
Brussels to "fact -find"
and draft a reEtructuring
proposal that merges the
Seaforth, Tuckersmith
and McKillop report with
that of Grey and Brussels.
While all the
restructuring committee
meetings are public, a
special public meeting
will be held to review the
final proposal.
By Scott Hilgendorff
Inside...
,golf Hopice
.
Payeefl
FX t:'
Hockey school
showcase
game
P10 i
Agriculture...
Huron Plowing
Match
Pogo ti
if I
1
James St.
house fire
creates
Seaforth firefighters battle a fire Thursday at a
house, on the corner of James and West
William Streets, which suffered extensive
damages. Hilgendorff photos
extensive
damage
By Scott Hilgendorff
Expositor Editor
From the first smell of smoke. the
community has been helping the Bakker
family whose house suffered extensive
damage in a tire last Thursday afternoon.
Ron James from the Shell gas station.
down the street from the Bakker house at
James Street and West William, smelled •
smoke. With experience with a fire
See COMMUNITY, Page 2
August 25, 1999
Si
(includes GST)
Local weather
Wednesday-- Cloudy
with showers and risk of
thunderstorms. High 23.
Thursday --Cloudy with
scattered showers. High
25. Low 15.
Friday --Cloudy with
sunny periods. High 27,
Low 14.
Saturday --Sunny with
cloudy periods. High 28.
From Environment Canada
Police will
rotate hours
to prevent
break-ins
By Scott Hilgendorff
Expositor Editor
Criminals who may think they know Seaforth policing
patterns will he in for a surprise as a new rotating schedule
takes effect in response to concerns from businesses about
the hours in which there are no police in town.
"When I walked nut of there. i felt really good about it."
said Liz Cardno who represented the Business Improvement
Area (BiA) at a police services hoard meeting last.week to
discuss the issue.
While the BIA originally requested the town switch to 24-
hour policing, Cardno said she went to the meeting and
asked that they Zook at moving the police schedule around.
There are currently four hours in the early morning.
between shifts. in which there are no police assigned to the
town because the town entered into a contract with the OPP
to provide policing for only 20 hours.
At the Aug. 18 hoard meeting, Staff Sergeant George
Lonsbarv, who supervises the contract. agreed to alter the
schedule.so police would he in town at unpredictable hours.
The new schedule has already been drawn up and now. the
hours of day in which there are no police in town will vary
from •lay to day.
"It's one step in the right direction." said Cardno. who
added there was discussion about distributing information to
help crimeproof businesses and about setting up community
policing programs that encourage people to he on the look
out for possible crime.
"If we can all pull together, we can have a safer
community to live-in." said Cardno. She owns Cardno's
Men's Wear and was the recent victim of a break and enter.
losing thousands of dollars in merchandise. It was one of
several incidents that prompted the BiA to make its original
request.
See BUSINESSES, Page 2
eritage house to be dedesignated
Council told heritage designation
has twice prevented sale of house
By Scott HiIg.ndorff
Expositor Editor
Seaforth counci(has given its
approval to Ruth Anne Shields to
dedesignate her heritage home.
There was some debate about
whether or not the approval should
be , made yet as the Local
Architectural Conservation Advisory
Committee (LACAC) prepared to
send her a letter asking her not to do
this.
"I think we should let her
dedesignate her property." said
Mayor Dace Scott.
He understood that she is trying to
clean up an estate and would like to
sell the house.
Counc. Michael Hak. the town's
representative on LACAC, said he
didn't think Shields understood what
the designation meant and that she
was concerned about having to drive
back to Seaforth if she needed to
make any changes to the home.
Millenium party
may include
chance to renew
citizenship
By Scott HNgendorff
Expositor Editor
Seaforth residents might
have a chance to reaffirm
their citizenship with retired
Citizenship Judge Clare
Westcott next Canada Day.
Deputy Clerk -Treasurer
Jane Taylor presented the
idea at council's Aug. 1.7
meeting after discussion
returned to the idea of
having an event to celebrate
the millennium.
"i'd still like to have a
celebration," said Mayor
Dave Scott. At council's last
meeting. he suggested there
should be some kind of
event to mark the occasion
since there were not enough
community events in town
and many other communities
had activities planned.
He suggested the Canada
Day weekend but Clerk -
Treasurer Jack McLachlan
said that was the weekend
the Seaforth Agricultural
Society will be holding its
See PLAN!,, Pogo !
which he said wasn't the case.
He said if the designation was a
stumbling block to selling the
property. he would reconsider
'supporting a dedesignation.
Deputy .Clerk -Treasurer Jane
Taylor said it was her understanding
the designation caused Shields to lose
two sales already.
Coun. Mike Hodgins, a realestate
agent. said. "It is a problem for
selling a house."
He said any restrictions on a
property cut down its marketability.
"As an agent, 1 would just not
designate my house." he said.
"Some people look at it as a selling
point." said Hak.
Deputy Reeve William Teall said
they 'could always reapproach the
new owner and see if they would
want to designate it. ,
Hak reiterated if the designation
causes her trouble selling the house.
they could remove it.
"It sound like it already has.
twice," said Reeve Lin Steffler.
Scott said he understood LACAC's
mandate to preserve the town's
architecture but in this case. he said
he'd like a motion to dedesignate the
property.
Coun. Heather Robinet said the
LACAC letter is asking her to
reconsider. not telling her she can't
See REDESIGNATION, Page 2
Concentrated effort
Matt Devereaux of the Seaforth area concentrates on the direction of his plow as he competes for
the first time at o plowing match. He %vas at Friday's Huron County Plowing Match nearSeaforth.
Scott Hilgendorff photo
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