Loading...
Times-Advocate, 1985-04-17, Page 1Miier opens cainpaign in Lucan Imagine if you can, a roomful of 500 people struggling valiantly to sing, "come with me, vote PC" to tune of the "Happy Wanderer". That was the scene Tuesday night as Miller's On- tario came to Lucan. Premier Frank Miller was in- troduced by the Honourable William A. Stewart, who said Miller has ' a reputation for growing into the job". Stewart was formerly the Provincial Minister for Agriculture and Food. Miller began by saying "like Tom- my Tucker, I've got to sing for my supper" (commenting on the speech being held before dinner), and then went on to call Tuesday "the first real day of my campaign". It's been a pleasure driving through Ontario, speaking always to overflow crowds, all day." SOMETHING SWEET Premier Frank Miller was given a gift of local maple syrup by Bryan Smith. Miller commented, "It's just like an elec- tion campaign - a little sweetener helps". About the local candidate, Bryan Smith said Lucan residents should get together and "give an unemployed cookie salesman a job". About Smith's main competition, Jack Riddell, Miller said he didn't like to knock other members, but "this is Conservative country, and Huron - Middlesex voters should make sure Bryan is there". Miller than said "the- issue that really counts is jobs". "The challenge we face is to give each person of working age a job." To do that, Miller said we need a healthy farm sector. a strong auto industry, and a vibrant small business community. The answers to all this, according to Miller, are contained in his party's program, Enterprise Ontario. "We want to tell small businesses, you yj Ames in Serving South Huron, North Middlesex One Hundred and Twelfth Year don't have to pay corporate tax, as long as you invest the money in your company Miller feels that com- panies will use this money, which has no strings attached, to create jobs. "We're building on the strengths of Ontario," Miller said. He added that the policy has already been tried. "When Iwas treasurer, I took the tax off small businesses for two years. (in 1982 and 1983) and more than 30,000 companies created more jobs because the tax was off." Miller's other program, the Enter- prise Technology Fund, "is not a campaign promise but a fact." He ex- pects to make "hundreds of jobs more competitive" with the fund. The NDP, says Miller, has another agenda. "It's still their policy to na- tionalize key industries, although they don't talk about it much." Ti. Liberals, Miller says "have had years of practice at the federal leve• that has made them the masters 01 perverse complexity". Miller was referring to Peterson's plan to sub- sidize small business, but only after they've done the hiring, not before. Bryan Smith then spoke briefly. Smith said he has a fine team, and with their help, the job of electing him will be done. "We'll get Huron - Middlesex baek where it belongs. in Conservative hands." Smith then ask- ed Miller to "save,me a seat, because I'll be there". At the close of the speeches. Miller was presented with a large can of On- tario maple syrup. He accepted it say- ing, "It's like an election campaign, a little sweetener helps." dvocate & North Lambton Since 1873 EXETER, ONTARIO, April 17, 1985 Price Per Copy 50 Cents Hay ratepayers. fare 1.s% tax hike Flay township ratepayers face a tax increase of 19.56 mills, or 7.5 percent. amounting to an extra $116.46 on an average $6,000 residential assess- ment. Hay council approved the 1985 township municipal budget at their second regular monthly April meeting. Raising the difference bet- ween revenue of $584.739 and -ex- pected expenditures of $907.617 means a percent increase in the residen- tial mill rate from 62.87 last year to '70.55 this year. i Included- in the budget are tile and shoreline deben- tures of $272,021. i The Huron county levy is up $15.410. representing a three -mill increase of six percent. The school boards have not yet set their final budgets. but 1)ucharrne was told by phone the preliminary figures show a 5.6 percent (.5.01 mills ) for elementary public. a 6.5 percent increase 15.77 mills) for elementary 'separate schools. and 5.1 percent (3.72 mills) for secondary schools. The total residential mill rate is estimated at 293.5. Before the municipal budget was approved, $4,000 had to be added to cover the cost of replacing a four -foot culvert on sideroad 25 on Branch G of the Forrest -Thompson drain with a six-foot one at the insistence of road engineer Bruce Holdsworth. Other township expenses will be a roads budget of $379,274; which in- cludes tarring and chipping on the se- cond concession. Parks and recrea- tion accounts for $19,450; $25,345 in engineering and associated costs in attempts to get a new water supply along Highway 21 has been brought forward to the 1985 budget. General government costs'have risen from $69,334 in 1984 to $73,823 in 1985. With 1984 figures in brackets. $9,600 ($7,383) is budgeted for special meetings over and above honorariums of $2,640 ($2,410) for the reeve, $2,520 ($2,505) for the deputy reeve and $2,400 for each of the three councillors. A further $9,000 5'$6,717.31) has been designated for conventions, seminars and mileage for councillors and township staff. The tender from Saugeen Road Spraying Co. in Durham to tar and chip the second had the lowest unit price, and was accepted on condition STABBED A scene from "Murder for the Bride" put on by members of the Catholic Women's League. From back left: Fran Roelands, Classina DeBont, Mary Moser, Nancy Michielsen, Anne Reaburn and Kathy Gielen. Front, Theresa Larkin, Nancy Regier, Donna Dawe and Sharon Martens. Mayor gets pay boost of nearly 50 percent Nlenrbers of Exeter council voted themselves pay hikes of almost 10 percent at a special meeting. Tues- day. and added almost .-,(1 percent to the mayor's stipend The new -rates are retroactive to February 1 and bring council members' stipends to $2.585 per year They previously received $2.3(M► The mayor's rate nt pay will jump to $4,450 per year from 1(w previous figure of $:1.000 Earlier this year. council adopted a !notion to base their pay on the 1984 average pay of their counterparts on the councils of the other four towns in i luron . Councillor iten Hoogenboom was the only one to speak against the in- creases. although he was joined by Reeve Bill Mickle in voting against the motion 'hers it was presented. Iloogenboom said he didn't think council members could justify more Local pharmacist given recognition Local pharmacist I'.srnarl \lerani has been named the winner of the 1983 '.Bowl of 1hgeia-- by the Ontario Pharmacists' Association. One winner is manned each ye•ar- frotn the 10 provinces lor the award. which is sponsored by .\ If Robins Canada Inc The award macists for outstanding service to their eon] mWill ies ,1Terani has been a member of the Exeter (.inns for the pas! six years. is past treasurer and member nl the Exeter Busiiess improvement Area BIA ► and has sponsored local soccer clubs as well as acting as ;r referee lor games. He's a member of the Ontario Easter Seals Society, a 1983 81 member of the Huron t'ountr� Playhouse board nl director's. a past member of the 'Ismailia ('nmmunity administrative committee and a sup porter of the Aga Khan Foundation He's chief fundraiser for the Aga Khan Foundation through the ( ►ntarin pharmacists within the Ismaili com- munity- to raise Simi►,(►)! annnalh for health. education. housing. recongniies Phar 'agriculture third world and energy services in countries. than a_ four percent increase over last year's stipends when (hey were try- ing to get town employees to settle for two percent hikes. "it doesn't make sense," he suggested. Deputy -Reeve Lossy Fuller said members of coun-•il were at fault themselves for not getting small in- creases each year. while Mayor Shaw noted that no one was "in it for the money". "There's a principle at stake." Ifoogenboom argued. Councillor Morley Hall. voicing his agreement with the new rates. sug gested some ratepayers would only be happy if the stipends were lowered. while Councillor Tom Humphreys said that increases should be con- sidered at least every three years. Shaw adivsed him that the previous motion regarding salaries called for an annual review of all council stipends in the five county towns. Councillor Don Winter said future increases should he kept in line with the increases granted town ex- rnployees but Councillor Gaylan Josephson said the cornpareison should always be with other elected officials in Huron and not employees The averages used are made substantially higher by including Goderich. a town with a population double that of Exeter The mayor there received $8.263 in 1984 and council members were paid $4.132 Clinton was the lowest with the mayor receiving $3,153 and council members $1.886. The rates in Wingham were $3.600 for the mayor and $2.100 for councillors and in Seaforth the mayor received $4.228 and council members $2.504. Clerk Liz Bell explained that some of the towns pay a per diem rate for meetings and the figures were based nn an estimate of the number of coun- cil and special meetings members attended Stephen township made the same 'decision. The estimated total cost of $91,733 using emulsified prime was lower than roads superintendent Ross Fisher had expected. Township residents wishing to have private driveways paved will be ap- bte to make their own arrangements with the company. Kelly Robinson was awarded the contract for repairs on the Datars- Logan drain. Though the second lowest of four tenders, his .price of 86,784 was only $115 more, and he could begin work on June 1. The lowest bidder gave a starting date of July 15. with a September 30 deadline. Accountant Eugene Bender attend- ed the morning session to go over the audited 1984 township financial state- ment with council. The township end- ed 1984 with an accumulated net surplus of $13,444. Bender reported the books were well kept. He said because the township's reserve fund was high, interest payments for necessary borrowing were very low compared to some other municipalities. Erich Freiter was first on the after- noon agenda. He came to complain about flooding of his property and basement caused by snow and ice blocking the culvert on the 14th. He ICE STILL PROBLEM Only three collisions were in- vestigated by the Exeter ()PP this week, with one of them again being blamed partly due to winter road conditions. On Tuesday, a vehicle driven by Melvin Corrin, Lucknow, skidded on an icy patch on Highway 4 south of Exeter and struck a mailbox owned by Eugene Willard. Damage to the vehicle was listed at $950. On Friday. vehicles operated by llenry Winters, RR 3 Exeter, and An- drew F'illa, Dorchester. collided on Highway 4 just north of Exeter. Damage was estimated at $1,500 and Filla sustained minor injuries. The other crash was on Sunitay when a vehicle driven by William Seymour, London, rolled over into a ditch on County Road 11 at Win- chelsea. Damage was set at $6,200 and the driver suffered minor injuries. had paid to have a backhoe clear out the blockage. The site will be included on the itinary when council members and. the road engineer conduct their an- nual road tour on April 25. A one-time grant of $250 to the Zurich summer playground program was approved, with the stipulation further requests in subsequent years must be made before the township sets its rec budget, and provided this year's program receives ministry approval. The Zurich Agricultural Society was given a grant of $350. Carol Dietz' letter of resignation from the rec cebmmittee was ac- cepted with regret. Acting on a request from Gary Atderdice for an extension of Branch B of the Forrest -Thompson drain, his name will be added to the original November 5 petition and that section will be included in the engineer's final report. Haskett and Hodgins will.be asked to inspect the Thiel and Neeb drain. with special attention to a huge hole on the GlenNeeb farm. A petition was filed by Herm Neeb and Lionel Wilder for a preliminary report on maintenance and repair of the drain. Council will resume its night-time meetings in May. beginning at 7:30 p.m. on May 6. - Mammoth opposition delays church ruling About 25 residents appeared at Wednesday's hearing into zone change proposals for the Pentecostal Tabernacle to Voice their objections and concerns over the proposals. A committee of council consisting of IDorothy Chapman and Ben Hoogeboom heard the complaints in- itially and they were then re -stated for the planning advisory committee session which followed. Rev. Robert Donnan, representing the church, explained that a new church was being built south of Ex- eter and the sale of the existing facili- ty at the corner of Main and Victoria St. would be limited in its oppor- tunities if the zoning remained as institutional. The church is requesting that it be changed to commercial. Andrew St. residents Richard lineal. Peter Connan and Niall Straw outlined the objections from .the neighbouring property owners - Thirty -eight written submissions had also been received. Objectors cited the probability of properly devaluation, neighbourhood deterioration, increased traffic flow, safety of children using the existing school crossing at the intersection of Main and Victoria. and appearance of garbage containers, and parking lots adjacent to residential properties as their major concerns. In view of the large number of writ- ten and verbal objections received, the two committees deferred the mat- ter over to May 8 for further discus- sion and decision. - Tbe county planning department has recommended approval of the ap- plication with the stipulation that a development agreement is•required, also planting strips on the north and east sides of the property and that 21 parking spaces be maintained on the property. The zoning change application in- cludes the present church building as well as two residences owned by the church on the north side. PRINCIPAL MOVES At their meeting this week. the Huron -Perth Separate School board named Laurie Kra ft check as the new principal of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel school. effeclive September I. Kraftcheck is currently principal at Precious Blood in Exeter and his replacement in that position is Margaret Medve. The latter is presently with the North Shore SS board al Massey. NEWEST BLOCK PARENTS - Exeter Block Parent chairperson Eileen Miron (left) and Constable George Robertson, Exeter's crime prevention officer, present half-price possports to Canada's Wonderland to Barb Beckett and Barb Wein who became Block Parents this week. Gets half year salary Chief Ted Day retires Exeter will not have two police chiefs when a new "senior chief" is hired next month. Present Chief Ted Day reached an agreement with Exeter Council this week and has submitted his resigna- tion. effective with the passing of a bylaw at last week's special session Under the agreement, reached earlier with Day and his lawyer. Elmer I). Bell. he will be paid half a year's salary in a lump sum payment. The amounts to $16,276. plus an ad- ditional benefit of $345 by the town paying half a year's OHIP premium for Day Day has been on sick leave for much of the time since early last fall and when (here was every indication he may not return to work al all, coun- cil approved seeking applications for a new chief. Sgt Kevin Short has been acting chief and Constable Jim Barnes became acting sergeant. . in presenting the retirement agree- ment to council nn Tuesday. Mayor Bruce Shaw said the police commit- tee had met "many. many times' in an effort to resolve some problems within (he town's policing system Ile said 0 was a disadvantage in not having a hull -time chief in command of things. but he also expressed ap- preciation for the efforts of the two members of the department who fill- ed in. Councillor Ben Ho ogenbonm said the committee should he commended for reaching an agreement with Day thatwas satisfactory to both council and the former chief.