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Times-Advocate, 1985-06-26, Page 1ANXIOUS MOMENTS Members of the Exeter fire department spent some anxious moments before they were able to shut off a Teak from this Targe propane gas tank at the Clarke Self Serve Shell station, Sunday. Sandra Strang named Osborne acting clerk At their special meeting of June 18. Osborne Council appointed Sandra J. Strang as acting clerk -treasurer and tax collector` until a clerk -treasurer and tax collector is appointed. This was necessary because of the recent dismissal of clerk -treasurer Larry Stuck. Council decided to add Proso Millet and Ve!vetteaf to the Noxious Weed List for Usborne 'Township. A bylaw for these weeds will be prepared: Due to staff holidays. the first coun- cil meeting in July is to he held on Ju- ly 9 at 7:00. and the office will be clos- ed from 12 to 1 pm from June 28 to Ju- ly 5. Council «as advised that a meeting has leen set up with Ontario 1lydro to review Ushorne 'T'ownship's Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw With regard to the proposed hydro corridor. Ushorne wishes to make their ratepayers aware that swimming pools in the township require a fence constructed according to the provi- sions of the bylaw. a copy- of which is available in the township office. Deputy Reeve Margaret Vern ad- vised that the Kirkton-Woodham swimming pool has been painted by volunteers. Opening day will he June Motorcyclist hurt in crash A 21 -year-old motorcyclist sustain- ed lacerations and -bruises of ler col tiding with a car at the corner of Sanders and Senior SI. around 10:30 a.m.. Friday. [)avid Newton Jr.. 2b1 -Churchill Drive. was proceeding west o Sanders St-. when an eastbound car driven by Eugene Beaver. 309 Senior St., made a left turn in front al Min. Newton was taken to South Iluron Hospital for treatment and released. Damage in the crash was listed at $6.IN)0 and charges are pending. (►n Saturday. a car owned by Glan- ville Auto Wreckers. RR 1 Exeter. ' was parked on William 5I. north of Vuron St. when another vehicle back- ed into it and left the scene. Damage to the Glanville vehicle was listed at $:400. 27 with public swimming at 4 pm. They have hired an assistant super- visor who is looking for a cainp site in the area where he couk stay. A summer employment grant has been received and will be used to,offset the cost of wages. Hern also mentioned that they just acquired a refrigerator. but still need a clock and toaster oven. Ground hogs in the area of the pool are a problem and they are looking into some means of control; Councillor Brian Hardeman will at- tend the area recreation meeting on June 27 at the South Iluron Recrea- tion Centre. Road Superintendent John Batten advised council that the gravelling of the township roads is running late. it was moved that due to unforeseen problems experienced at the gravel pit by Chittick Construction Limited. council will waive the $200 penalty clause in the gravelling contract. Batten advised council that the Usborne Road Department has been working at the Kirkton dump and re- quested that the waste disposal com- mittee meet with him at the site to consider future handling of garbage. Batten also told council that the boundary road between Usborne and Biddulph needs improvements, and Reeve Prout said he would speak to a Biddulph Township representative regarding. the matter. The Township of Usborned does not support the resolution of the Town of Valley East regarding seniors and school tax. and taxes on home improvements. Council approved a $50 grant to the Friends of 411. The Huron County Planning Department will be•. contacted for written advice regarding a request by the Exeter Pentecostal Church to erect a barge screen at the back of their rear parking lot, to show drive- in church movies. WE'LL BE LATE Due to the holiday• Monday. the Ex- eter Times -Advocate wilt be publish- ' ed one day later than usual next week. i1 will be printed Wednesday night for 'Thursday morning delivery Serlousness of gas leak debated There's a difference of opinion on the seriousness of a propane gas leak at the Clarke Self Serve Shell station around 7:00 p.m., Sunday. Operator Brian Clarke termed it a "very minor thing" and said he didn't want to talk to the T -A about the inci- dent because the newspaper always blows things out of proportion. He hesitantly agreed there could be some danger "at a certain point" before refusing further comment. "Ile wasn't there, how does he know how minor it was"" questioned Fire Chief Gary Middleton. "It could have been serious," Middleton opin- ed on Monday. Middleton said he would be doing a full investigation this week. A line from the large above -ground tank started to spew out its contents and it was over 15 minutes before members of the Exeter -fire depart- ment managed to get the equipment shut off. Middleton said he didn't know how - far the gas would spread, but sug- gested that it could have been from 100 to 300 feet away and could easily • have been set off by a spark or by so- meone lighting a match, tossing away a cigarette butt or having a barbecue. The Chief said -such an explosion would have been like a bomb and could have re, ailed in serious repel. • cessions t;,r people in the immediate vicinity. "It's nothing to play around with." commented Jim Ingram, manager of the Fuels Safety Division for the Southwestern Region of the Ontario Ministry of Consumers and Commer- cial Relations. He explained that propane is heavier than air and therefore settles to the ground. He too noted that a spark could set off an explosion and said it is always necessary to use precautions in such incidents. Please turn to page 2 BEST ALL-ROUND during Thursday's Officer Greg Pfaff. CADET Kim Conlan was annual 'inspection. Making named the best cadet in the Huron -Middlesex Cadet Corps the presentation are Sgt. Bill Wilson and Commanding - T -A photo Ames - Serving South Huron, North Middlesex One Hundred and Twelfth Year dvocate & North Lambton Since 1873 EXETER, ONTARIO, June 26, 1985 Price Per Copy 50 Cents Expected to get agriculture ministry today Riddell would tackle farm ills Huron -Middlesex MPP Jack Rid- dell, being touted as Ontario's -next agriculture minister. said this week that if he is given the job when David Peterson is sworn in as Premier. he'll give the financial crisis of farmers his number one priority. Riddell was among the outgoing and incoming government officials speaking to the directors of the On- tario Federation of Agriculture. Wednesday. Citing the financial crisis as the No. 1 concern for farmers, Riddell said a new Liberal government will review many of the existing farm financial assistance programs. "I'm inclined to -• think these programs have been more of an insurance policy for the banks than they have been of assistance to farmers." He would hope to devise a non- discrirpinatory assistance program. that would aid both financially troubl ° ed and financially sound operators. "There should be long-term credit available to farmers at rates of in- terest farmers can afford so they can plan on a long-term basis." Assistance is needed to help farmers service their existing debt at reduc- ed rates of interest. he said. in an answer to a question from one director disgruntled with local agriculture ministry staff. Riddell said as minister he would reassess 4r4+ 4. CYCLIST INJURED A 21 -year-old motorcyclist, David Newton Jr., escaped with lacerations and bruises after his machine was involved in an occident with a car driven by Eugene Beaver at the corner of Sanders and Senior St. Friday. Both drivers are from Exeter. The motorcycle is shown in the foreground, while Polite Chief Lorry Hardy talks with Beaver beside the batter's car. The fire department was called out to wash tray a small amount of gasoline which spilled onto the roadway. - Eight. sustain injuries in collisions in area Eight ixeople sustained injuries and propx'rty damage amounted toS2o,(Nx► in the seven.collisions investigated by t he Exeter (11'P this week. The first at the collisions was on Tuesday w hen vehicles driven by Brendalec' )lacF:achern. Kincardine. and Patrick 'lhanah,+m. Goderich. collided on 1Iighway 1 id Hens:rll Damage was $3.250 "There were two on Thursday. the first involving vehicles operated by .lohn Boon. lilt 2 Bay held. and Glen Nixon. 1lensall They collided on King St west of llighway 4 in ifensall and damage was listed al $2.523. The other occurred al the junction of concession 6 7 and sideroad 15 in Stephen Township Drivers were Charles ,Jeffrey. RR 2 Zurich. and D uglas F'inkheiner. Rif 2 CI-pailful.,Jeffrey and his daughter. ,Jennifer. suffered minor injuries and total damage was estimated al $4,000 On Friday. a vehicle driven by Paul lavery. Zurich. struck a parked vehi- cle owned by David Gelinas. Zurich. on i1ghway 84 in Zurich. Damage was $2,uno. On the sante dale, a vehicle driven by Shelley Tomes. RBB 2 Centralia. reversed from a laneway on Algon• quin Drive in Huron Park and struck a parked car owned by Dianne F'aubert. Huron Park. Damage was $305 in that one. Two people were injured in the lone collision reported on Saturday It nc- carred on Highway 84 at the junction of llighway 21 and involved vehicles driven by Therese Cantin. St ('lair Shores. Michigan. and George Walker. London. Minor injuries were sustained by Delores Walker and Marylyn Willie. passengers in the Walker vehicle. Total damage was $1.700 The final crash of the week was on Sunday when vehicles driven by Clayton Nile, Dashwood. and Patrick Flanagan. Zurich. collided on Highway 83 west of Exeter. Damage was estimated al $7.000 - Nile and his wife. Tilly. sustained minor injuries. as did Flanagan and his passenger. Michael Ladd. Hayfield. ministry staff. On the issue of farm financial review tribunals, Riddell said he not only supports the idea but would want such a body to have enough clout to enforce a settlement between farmers and creditors if necessary. Riddell, who was returned to the Legislature with his biggest win ever in the May 2 election. has been the Liberal agriculture critic for some time. During the election campaign. the Liberals promised to drop the interest rate to eight percent for the first $200,000 in operating loans of farmers. At Wednesday's OFA meeting. at which -NDP MPP David Rantsay (Timiskaming) urged farmers to "gel off your asses" if they want govern- ment action on the farm financial crisis, Riddell said he would not ad- vise the OFA one way or another on tactics. but warned whatever they do they should maintain their dignity. "i don't think you've leen doing an effective job. You've failed terribly." Ramsay told the directors. Ile was applauded. • Two weeks ago at an emergency sleeting on the farm crisis, the (WA was up in arms over tederal budget inaction and threatened such drastic moves as mass protests and withholding debt payments. But when . they reconvened Wednesday to com- plete a plan of attack. the executive offered a mild six -point plan which in- cluded educating "the community at large" to farm problems. Discussion was muted until Brian Ireland of Bruce County put Forward a motion calling -for mass demonstra- tion and an education assault on Queen's Park shortly after the new Liberal government sits July 2 - "We want a demonstration al Queen's park with a vocal demonstra- tion outside and maybe raise a little hell, even trample a flower bed or two." Ireland said. "At the same time. a group of peace -loving guys like me would talk to every MPI' in his office Accord near for teachers The Iluron County board of educa- tion and its secondary school teachers reached a tentative agreement after two days of mediation at the Park Lane hotel in London. "Wrung out" is how teacher negotiator Shirley Weary of Goderich described her feelings'on Friday after the June 19 and 20 mediation session: Prof. David Whitehead of the University of Western Ontario. ap- pointed by the Education Relations Commission. conducted the media- tion sessions which started about :t p.m. on the Wednesday and ended up on Thursday evening. "The agreement is extremely fair lo both sides," said the professor. Mrs. Weary also used the words "fair for both sides'. in describing (he tentative agreement. - The school board will have voted on Tuesday. June 23 while Mrs Weary said Ihe4entative agreement will he put to the teachers on Wednesday. June 26. The details of the agreement won't he released until after both parties have ratified Secondary education in Iluron look on a gloomy aspect when the teachers voted in favor of strike action on 11ay 28., turning down the hoard's latest offer. "Roth parties desired a reasonable compromise." said Prof Whitehead in summing up the two days of talks "Roth parties worked hard and they arc to he congratulated.- Please ongratulated. 'Please turn to page 2 After the laughter died down. mos! Vectors rose to support Ireland. However, several urged caution. • "What concerns me is the credibili- ty of the OFA. Demonstrations can get out of hand•" said pork producer representative Marion Myers of Dalkeith, near the Quebec border. However. Ben Walport of Cayuga said if farmers don't stand up and he counted in the media they won't get the financial assistance they need. "How come there has been so much in the news in the last -few weeks on - deindexing of pensions in the federal budget and it appears the government is willing to back down to the seniors' Please turn to page 2 KEEPS GOLF DATE -- Premier designate David Peterson chats with GB reeve Bob Sharen and Oakwood owner Dave Scatcherd at the 4th annual Scatcherd Invitational classic golf tournament held in Grand Bend, Wednesday. Peterson arrived for the dinner after be- ing named the next premier of Ontario hours earlier. Three district men share lottery prize Three area men were in Toronto. Monday. picking up $76.822.20 which they won in Saturday's Lotto 6-49. .Jim Itc►Iph and Iwo employees of his c•onstructiomfirm had one of the 10 se- cond place winning tickets They had selected five of the regular numbers And the bonus number .Joining Rolph in the win were Douglas Simpson. Exeter, and John Bell. Kippen The three mien started 10 play ml to 6-49 together in (k'tober and hail their first win three weeks ago 11 was worth $10. Rolph said the three sten picked oil some of their favorite numbers when they joined forces in the lottery game and have stuck with those numbers The men take turns each week hu. ing the six tickets they play. There were two winners for Satur clay's top prize for picking all six numbers and the hones Those Iwo tickets were worth $I.932.1)02.80 eat'h After picking up their cheque al the )ntario l ttery Corporation head- quarters in 'I'oronlo al norm. Monday. the three men had lunch and return- ed to Exeter 11 was back to work as usual on 'I'iesd:r Premier will be at premiere Ifay id I'eterson. who will besworn into office as Ontario's Premier. 10- day.will Ix. in (rand Bend to perform at the opening ceremonies of the Ihn•on Country Playhouse. Saturday. Ile will ix. accompanied by his wife, who has been a terforrner on -the Playhouse stage in the past 1'eterZon has a collage at Oakivood and slimily after !wing asked by Lieutenant Governor John Aird last Wednesday to form a new govern- ment. departed to participate in the annual Dave Scatcherd tournament al Oa k wcxxl Golf ('ou ►tie SHARE PRIZE -- These three area men returned from Toronto, Mon- day, with o cheque for $76,822.20 which they won in Saturday's 6-49. From the left are Jack Bell. Kippen and Doug Simpson and Jim Ralph. both of Exeter.