Times-Advocate, 1982-12-29, Page 1QUALITY
FUR ITURI
WHY
PAY
MORE?
Whitings
Phone 235-1964
The
January 6
A fierce fire levelled the
Green Forest Motel at Grand
Bend with damage being set
at over $350,000. The building
was unoccupied at the time.
Eugene Guenther, RR 3
Dashwood, checks his -lottery
tickets once a year. He found
he had won $25,000 in a May
Wintario draw.
Exeter council started to
reconsider earlier plans to go
ahead with a Heritage Day
holiday in February.
MPP Jack Riddell' an-
nounced he would back Lon-
doner David Peterson in the
upcoming Liberal leadership
convention.
The final session was held
for the Chiselhurst United
Church congregation.
A GENEROUS GESTURE -- Blue Water Rest Home resi-
dent Florence Gould crocheted an afghan and pillow
as prizes in o draw. The money raised was used to pur-
chase the residents' register on the wall behind Mrs.
Gould.
Bob .Down retains
presidency of UCO
Robert Down. Exeter, has
been re-elected to serve his
second term of office as presi-
dent of United Co-operatives
of Ontario (UCO). John S.
Black, of Markdale, also con-
tinues in his capacity as first
vice-president and Murray J.
Allen, of Alfred continues as
second vice-president.
The fourth executive com-
mittee member is new:
Stuart W. Ldckhardt of Owen
Sound, replaces Robert' A.
Kids never
Coulthard of Glencoe who
declined to run this year.
Coulthard served last year as
immediate past president,
having been UCO president
from 1978 to 1981.
The elections were held
after UCO's 35th annual
meeting at Toronto, attended
by over 1,000 people from
across the province. UCO has
a I2 -person Board of Direc-'.
tors, with each director's
Please turn to page 2
ear th
Bob own was elected
president of United Co-
operatives of Ontario.
January 13
Katherine Christine
VanBergen arrived on
January 5 to claim the title as
first baby of the new 'year at
South Huron Hospital. She
received a load of gifts from
local merchants.,
Thieves made off with an
assortment of 18 guns in a
breakin at Rothe Sports and
Cycle. Grand Bend. ,
A group of Hensall
businessmen was named as
the first board for the
Businessmen improvement
Area in that community.
Zurich Lions made plans to
distribute the Vial -of -Life to
residents.
The Exeter and Goderich
stores of Conklin Lumber
were purchased by • Moffatt
and Powell Ltd. -
A fire caused $100,000
damage to a chicken barn at
McKinley Hatchery, north of
Zurich. Some 11.500 broilers
destined for market were.
destroyed.
January 20
The Shipka area barn of
Rick Raeburn was destroyed
by fire.
Grand Bend PUC increased
water rates by 20 percent.
• Brian Mercer of the Exeter
Hawks scored_ four goals to
lead the north to an 11-5 win
in the annual Junior 'D' all
star game in Lucan. •
Rev. David Hall, son of Mr:
and Mrs. Morley Hall, Ex-
eter, was ordained at
Medicine Hat.
A deficit of $22,769 was
recorded by the Exeter com-
munity park grounds develop-
ment committee. Council
reluctantly agreed to pick up
the deficit. .
The value of building per -
lints in 1981 was $803,049, the
lowest since records were
kept in Exeter. Only two new
homes were built.
Plans got started for Ex-
eter's first annual Heritage
Days weekend celebration.
January 27
Ilensall seniors became the
latest group in the area to
receive the Vial -of -Life. one`
week after a similar distribu-
tion to seniors in Lucan.
The C.G. , Farm Supply
Black Hawks won the 'B'
championship in the Zurich
rec league tournament.
A recent series of weekend
blizzards had area ministers
and church officials concern-
ed that the cancellation of ser-
vices would have serious pro-
blems for
ro-
blemsfor church collection
plates. Some churches were
closed three consecutive Sun-
days due to storms.
A Crediton man was involv-
ed in a car -truck crash near
Goderich that claimed the .
lives of four members of a
Forest family ducting a severe
winter storm.
Exeter PUC agreed to ex-
tend the grace period on bills
by one day.
Stephen Optimists, assisted
by students from Centralia
College, staged a successful
blood dono clinic at Huron
Park.
• February• 3
Huron beef producers voted
against a supply manage-
ment system for their
industry.
Ladies exhibits were added
to the Hensall spring fair by
the board of directors.
Port Dover heat Exeter in
the semi-finals and then sub-
dued `Fhedford to win the an-
nual Hawks tournament that,
had been delayed due to
adverse weather.
t wus...inrevicw
The Exetbantams.
midgets and their fan. were
storm -stayed Overnight m St.
Marys following playoff
games.
A double welding ►►a- stag-
ed a Kirkton for the daughters
of Mr. and Mrs. Elves Rock.
The • director and
superintendent for the 1 luron-
Perth SS board turned•down
salary increase offers as be-
ing too low.
Dalton Finkbeiner received
a long -service award frunn the
Exeter Agrictgltural Society.
Einployees at lied
Aerospace okayed a contract
for wage increases amid
fears the firm may move to a'
new location.
February 10
The 'Exeter Lions Sport-
smen's dinner was again suc-
cessful, raising about $8,000
for crippled children. Guests
included Sam Pollock, War-
ren Cromartie, Joe Charbpn-
'neau, Jim Bouton, John
Glassford, John Priestner,.
Lori Beier and Lloyd Eisler. •
Exeter minor graduate
Dave Shaw was named to the
()HA Junior A' all-star team.
United Plastic Component
Ltd., Dashwood, shipped a
Imes
container of $92,000 worth of •
plastic furniture to Australia.
Unsecured creditors of Con-
klin Lumber were advised
they would probably receive
no funds from the bankrupt
firm.
A fire did'.considerable
damage to the , home of
Deputy -Reeve Alvin Epp.
Cathy Norris, Grand Bend,
learned she had been selected
for page duty in the Ontario
Legislature.
A survey showed there
were 1,000 senior citizens liv- •
ing-in Exeter.
Serving South Huron, North Middlesex
One Hundred and Tenth Year
February 17 •
Fire destroyed the Kippen
area home of Mr. and Mrs.
Ron Denys. Also lost was the
barn and the contents of both
buildings. '
Word was received that Dr.
G. Woodfine of Beachburg
had agreed to move to 'the
new Dashwood Medical
Centre.
The March of Dimes raised
$501.90 in the canvass in
Hensall. ,
Over•300 participated in the'
Pinery Park Ioppet.
The Zurich Eagles won the
village's first snowball
VOC
& North Lambton Since 1873
EXETER, ONTARIO, December 29, 1982
' tournament
Bill Mltckle skipped his
team of wile. f'ran, Alice and
Bill Walker to an elusive
eight -ender at the Exeter
curling rink
Exeter council members
and staff donned centennial
costumes and debated ur-
chins and a budget of $1,628.42,
in a celebration tor,Heritage
Day and Sir John A. Mac -
Donald's birthday. Cigars. li-
quor flasks and coal ail lamps
festooned the council
chambers. • -
Kim Berry was named •
Please turn to' page 4
0
3
Price Per Copy 50 Cents
CHRISTMAS TIME BIKE RIDING — The unusual
weather allowed Michael Kingma and Kevin Robinson
to enjoy riding their bicycles along town str ts,,Mon-
day morning. photo
Deal for boat firm
remains in limbo
"Nothing has changed,.
comments Jack O'Neill. one
of the •former •employees of
Hughes Columbia inc. al
Huron Park. "The. plant is
still closed. the deal is not
closed and everyone -remains
hopeful as hell". •
• The deal to which he refer-
red was one in.which a Kit-
,
suspected they were to be recipients
Hours of work create play area
Building a playhouse is
hard work, according to Mark
Coolman. He should know.
Ile has just spent over 200
hours building one for his two
nephews 'aged eight and six.
and his two-year-old niece. A
brass plaque above the little
front door with its miniature
brass knocker proclaims:
Custom built t•ncle Mark
Coolman. Christmas 1982.
The children knew what
their uncle was building. but
had no idea it was dtwtined for
them. When they saw the
miniature house in their back
yard on Christmas morning.
they couldn't believe the
evidence of their own eyes.•
After being convinced• the
house was really theirs. they-
\ entered the little door and
their parents had a daleult
time' persuading them to
conte out again. even for
Christmas dinner.
dark and brother Leon had
balked about playhouses for
their children tor some time.
The sight of one while on.a
drive to Clinton provided the
incentive to turn dream into
reality.
Mark had the skill. ile en-
joys working with wool. and
dict much of the construction
on his Andrew Street home At
one time he had been
employed by Dashwood In-
dustrie$ to make specially siz-
ed and shaped windows for
churches. chalets, and
cathedral ceilings.
Ile also had the time. Ile.
-lost .his job, first as a
carpenter and later as a
supervisor. when the Hughes
Columbia boat -building first
went' into receivership
The playhouse design is
'original Mark ('oolntan, It in-
cluded a dormer, two gable
ends. and two doors for safe-
ty's sake. as everything is
made of wood.
Construction grade lumber
was used throughout •the
eleven foot long, seven foot
wide. six foot three inch high
structure. Windows, doors.
ceiling. soffits, fascia and
custom-made one -and -one
eighth ttim are of pine. The
roof boasts cedar shingles,
and Coolman obtained the
cedar siding second-hand for
a $60 outlay. ( New cedar
siding is presently selling for
65 cents per foot.)
The eye-catching edifice is
wired for electricity, with two
wall plugs inside, and two at-
tractive little coach -house
lights outside. 1t is insulated.
and . the doors
weather-stripped. .
"i think you could heat it
with a candle". Coolman
remarked.
• After the frame had been
put together in the garage. the
building was completed in the
'driveway, attracting
"swarms of people. up to five
cars at a time". the artisan
said. Coolman was often
obliged to lay aside hammer
or saw to conduct an im-
promptu house tour.
Coolman has just cause to
be . proud of. what ho. has
accomplished: •
"i'm happy with it: it turn-
ed out like i thought it would".
he conceded.—
The only unhappy ones are
daughter Laurie' and son
Mike. who tearfully w•atehed •
the playhouse begin its
journey to their cousin's pro=
perty. They have extracted a
promise.from their father to
build one for thein. Soon.
Coolman 'is committed to
beginning another playhouse
in the spring.
vat
A CRAFTMAN'S CREATION -- Mark Coolman and son Mike stand beside .the
beautifully crafted playhouse Coolman built for his brother's children'. He has orders
to build one now for Mike and his sister.
f
chener couple had•planned to
re -open the plant which went
into receivership in June.
Under terms of the deal.
some 35 employees Were to be
re -hired and all employees
were to receive a portion of
the back pad owning: them,
however. the Kitchener pair
failed to complete the deal as
planned in early December
and the former employees are.
still without jobs and the
money --up to- $1,500 per
employee --that had been of-
fered to them when they
agreed unanimously to the
proposal in November.
O'Neill .said he and other
employees are still hopeful
the deal will -..be closed
although he hints that. it may
have been stalled partially by
the intervent ion of other boat
building firsts which have
criticised the plan to put.
more taxpayers' stoney into
the firm - through ar-
rangemei►t• being • made by
1 he. Ontario Development
Corporation . .
O'Neill said he had no pro-
of that other boat firms were
attempting to block the deal.
although one owner was
quoted as sae ing that he has
expire.sed concern over the
unfair competition being pro-
vided through the OD('
-astance to the prospective
owners of Ilughes Columbia
The Huron 1'ark resident
also rep orte►11had employees
voted to turn cfoten a cash set -
tlernent proposed lei thein by
the Toronto Dominion batik
Just priol• 11) C'hr'istmas.
(►'Neill said the bank offered
about halt , (il what the
employees had agreed to
under the of lgur.tl purchase
plan.
Hc• suggested the bank was
being a little coy. in staking
- the otter in lace of the rather
bleak ('her. lmas being faced
be the enlpoly yes of the firm.
The employees have twice
extendi•el the deadline for
their settlement of the pro-
posal It is now at January 10.
Audrey Sprung. who is to Ix•
president of the revitalized
boar maker. indicated she
and her husband a at temp,
tine to secure the equity
financing stipulated by (ll)C.
She said (MMM(' wants, work..
ing capital. in the forts of a
substantial sum of cash. "up
front it w,t indicated that
this was one of the stumbling
blocks for the completion of
the deaf.
Charities get boost from Santas
Yes Virgiiiki...tiwt is a Pfaff
Steve and Greg Pfaff have
hearts as big as the drawstr-
ing waistbands on their San-
ta Claus suits. Every year at
Christmas the brothers spend
most of their free time play-
ing the part Of that jolly old
gentleman in town parades,
shopping malls, stores, nurs-
ing homes, at service club
children's parties, adult
celebrations and visits to
private homes.
All money .they receive for
their efforts is given to their
favourite charities: Steve
Two hurt
in crashes
Three accidents were in
vestigated by the Exeter OPE
this week. with two area men
suffering minor injuries.
On Tuesday, a pickup truck
driven by . Allam Brian
Howard, 236 East SL, London,
hit a patch of ice just north of
Whalen on Highway 23 and
Went into the ditch.
Damage to the vehicle was
listed at $900.
The other collisions on
Thursday. the first on conces-
sion 14-15 of Stephen when a
pickup loaded with grain went
into the ditch and hit a hydro
pole.
. Driver of the vehicle was
Joseph D.- Bullock: RR 6
'Parkhill. Ile suffered minor'
cuts and bruises. -
Damage to the truck was
Set at $1.S00.
John C. Knip suffered
minor cuts and bruises when
his car hit a soft spot and went
outof control on concession 2
of Osborne near the Morrison
dam.
Damage in that one was set
at $1.200.
The OPP also investigated
three thefts from vehicles this
past week. •
- Hockey equipment valued
at $387 was stolen from Brian
Watson. concession 10.
llsborne. Speakers 'were
stolen .from a car owned by
Sherry Lee Dayman. Ilensall.
and two bottles of liquor and
a jacket were taken front a
vehicle owned by Ivan Vol
eman. also of Hensall.
in each case. the thte% es
smashed windows to get into
the parked vehi!:les
No insurance
brings 5500 fine
:\ Iluron Park man paid the
softest penally in Exeter
court last Tuesday alter
pleading guilty to driving a
motor vehicle without proper
insurance
Glen 1•:.:Ublas was titled
S5(41 on the charge. which waS
laid on November 20.
He was given six months to
which to pay the penalty:.
Two other sten were Iined
for drivIng while !hem
licence.
it ere.. under
suspension. '
Andy f' Koekman. Dow nee
To.. n�hrp. way tined $:0 r
(chile Hobert Al. Nash. Lon-
don. was fined Sar►0
Klekman, who Vas charg
rd on September 29 wlule
driving in play "Township. cc a�
given 60 days 111 bleb to par:
and Wash way g yen tw
months.
The latter had his licence
suspended a further six
months . to any. current
suspension.
in the only onlvl other ease.
Tippet-I(ichardon, Toronto:
'Was fined $28 for allowing the
operation of an unsafe
vehicle
•
sends his to the Thames
Valley Treatment Centre for
crippled children, and Greg
passes his share on to the
Cancer Society, usually ear-
marked for research pertain-
ing to children.
Both men are very fond of
youngsters, which is the
prime prerequisite for a San-
ta. Greg would like 20 of his
own some day, while Steve
thinks numbers make no dif-
ference - one or ten, all would
be special. He hopes for the
same happy relationship he
has had within his own fami-
ly.
Playing Santa has been a
Pfaff family .tradition for
three generations. The boys'
father Harvey, recently
retired Exeter postmaster,
did it for years ° as did his
father before him. Their
mother and maternal grand-
mother used to pack bags of
homemade candy for Santa to
give to children he Visited on
Christmas Eve. They still do,
but now the. candy comes
from a store.
Grandmother supplied the
fabric, and Aunt Maxine
made Greg and Steve's San-
ta outfits, just as she had
made Harvey's years before.
Twenty:six-year-old Steve
remembers the first time he
whitened his -eyebrows with
greasepaint, adjusted the
silky white beard and curls he
had purchased for $55 at a
London costumers, and slip-
ped into the elegant' red velve-
teen suit and matching hat.
He was in his late teens, the
appointment was at ARC In-
dustries, and he was very
nervous.
Steve evidently did a com-
mendable job, as more and
more calls were received for
his services. Sometimes he
was wanted in two places at
once. He needed a helper.
Three years ago Greg, then
19, began playing Santa too.
By then the cost of beard
and wig had risen to $70, and
both sets will soon have to be
replaced. The brothers shud-
der at the expected cost, but
will gladly pay it. They want
to look as authentic as possi-
ble. They are in the buisness
of dispensing magic, and will
not risk destroying.a child's il-
lusions by appearing in a
cheap red suit, or tacky cot-
ton batting beard., (The two
even refused to pose together
in their outfits, in case some
little girl or boy spotted the
picture in the paper and
began asking awkward ques-
tions about Santa having a
twin.) They want to leave a
good impression that will last
for a whole year.
"Christmas IS children",
Steve emphasized, and Greg
nodded agreement.
Both young men have notic-
Please turn to page 2
Ausable canoeist drowns
The body of canoeist Lin-
coln Montney, 60, of Bedford,
Mich., was found floating in
the swollen Ausable River on
Monday near the spot where
'he entered the water on
Sunday.
Provincial police at Forest
said a search and rescue
team from Canadian Forces
Base Trenton spotted the
body and overturned canoe
from a _ helicopter about a
kilometre away from where
the man left Hungry Hollow
bridge, just outside Arkona.
Police said the body was
found snarled in some river-
- bank branches not far from
his white canoe. Montney,
who had canoed in the area
before while looking for
fossils along the riverbank,
was wearing a lifejacket.
"Vitt river is extremely
high and running very, very
fast," an OPP spokesman
said. "It has flooded over its
banks a bit in some'places."
Police said Montney and a •
daughter, Janet. Nelson of
Port Huron, Mich„ put the
canoe into the -water about 11 •
a.m. and the woman planned
to meet him at nearby Sylvan.
An earlier report that he had
set out after supper was in-
correct, police said.
The incident is -being
treated by police 'as an ac-
cidental drowning. ,
SANTA AND HELPER Steve Pfaff hands Santa his bells and pock before the.mon
in the red suit (brother Greg) visits -.a children's party. .
Energy saving experiment
ends up as dud at CCAT
•i'he „tea was 10 save
money and energy hut• the
gond inten.Ions have Iiteralfy
slipped away. Ieavtnk'lehind
an unexpected hill for
$1110:000.
The experiment that tailed
clan a type' of earth berm In-
ion at Centralia College
(it Agriculture • and
Technology. The berms 1.2 -
metre , four -foot ; banks 01.
earth built against the inside
wall. of the horseshoe shaped
1In n plan residence were
lo pi ntect.the building agaitml
chilling north and north-west
winds.
Hul the ground. cover that
was to eventually anchor the
soil was overrun by weeds
and grass and the berm. gritti-
er!
radcd on a :PI -degree slope, legate
to backslide
• -'These idem are untried
and you really don't know
whether.they're going to work
until someone tries it." said
• college president Doug
Jamieson ''1 like the concept
from an energy conservation
standpoint Its a disappoint
stent to me that it didn't wort,
and some changes had In he
made." •
The $3.4 million lluri►n Hall
was hailed as a symbol of the
Ontario government's cot((
ntitntent to energy conserva
hon when official opened in.
July 1980. Special features in-
chlded solar -heated water,:
heat es, ',.+scat'>. permanent-
ly sealc,i .;ihled-i:laied t in
,loge.., r,rith hello',
. The ,rrchrlectoral plans.
designed b. ,1o1i0 (;ray: a o1
Paul \I Skinner .\rrhmtects of
London . .called for 'a
'nvr;ntuthl depth 01 1 -metre
• tour err', of r;trth. graded on
a rte ,tri err a.tea cn et' the
«lop'c,: concrete le ass of the
residence Era:ewers tested.
the exca►,tteti soil and advis
ed. 'the contractor it was
'intablr- for. berms ••We
upc•r,,•c',', r that basis,,,
tIraN 1 '.1.,1
-Jame•. .on said the contract
included pl,intutg a - ground
euver et px•rra inkle, a IOW'
Please lout to page 2
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