Times-Advocate, 1988-03-02, Page 1S
Serving South Huron, North Middlesex
One Hundred and Seventeenth Year
vocate
& North Lambton Since 1873
EXETER, ONTARIO, March 2, 1988
Price Per Copy 60 Cents
BEST SPEAKERS AT CREDITON -The annual Crediton .Social Club's public speaking contest was held
Wednesday night. Above, club vice-president Ted Wales presents trophies to winner Darren Young of McGillivray
Central School and runnerups Chris Neil of Stephen Central and Sheri Wells, also of McGillivray.
betting rid of PCBs will be costly
The S25,000 the Exeter PUC has
already budgeted to have the PCBs
removed from the oil in the Well-
ington -St. transformer and the re -
closer will not be enough, com-
missioners learned at their regular
February meeting. Another
$4,000 will have to be added to
pay a crew of specialists to bring
their equipment to the site, run the
contaminated oil through an elabo-
rate process, and remove the PCBs.
The utility has no choice, al-
though the PCBs were already in
thc transformer and the recloser
When they wcrc purchased in 1968.
"It came contaminated. We never
added a drop of- oil", said PUC
manager 1'lugh Davis.
The PCB level in thc 500 gal-
lons of oil is 2(X) parts per mil-
lion, and the allowable maximum
is 50. By law the transformer can't
be serviced and can't be moved un-
til the PCBs have been removed.
Davis said the government could
demand that a bcrm be built as
containment around the substation.
He also pointed out what hap-
pened when a PCB -contaminated
transformer in Blenheim blew up.
The clean-up costs ran to over
S100,000, and that utility will
have to store forever barrels of as-
* phalt and dirt, -as there is no way to
get rid of it.
Thc transformer will be out of
service for about 10 hours, and has
to be back on line before the 1988
canning season starts at Nabisco.
"With. all the theft in this world,
why wouldn't someone steal our
oil?" Mayor Bruce Shaw asked wist-
fully.
Hydro department
The final audit of the hydro de-
partment showed that net income in
1987 was $133,763; this figure rep-
resents 5.9.percent of revenue. Of
the $2,217,445 that came in,
$1,824,096 went back to Ontario
Hydro for power purchases.
Davis supplied some figures for
the past .five years. Net income of
$167,726 was 10 percent of revenue'
in 1983, when the utility had 1,759
customers. The following year in-
come dropped to 5148,114, repre-
senting 8.2 percent of revenue while
supplying 1775 customers. In
1986 4.3 percent of revenue resulted
in a net income of only $90,371 for
1,840 customers. By last year the
number of customers had increased
to 1,864.
in that same timc period, the.val-
ue of fixed assets rosc from
$1,708,167 to $2,510,921.
Water department
Commissioners approved a four
percent increase in watcr rates, ef-
fective March 31. This, the first in-
crease in two years, will boost the
daily rate for a residential customer
from 300 to 310.
An proposed operating budget of
$356,978 and a proposed capital
budget of S141,669 were also ap-
proved. Among thc projects sched-
uled for this year are completing the
water main installation on Pickard
Road from the endof the existing.
main to the northerly end of the
street ($20,625); installing 153 me-
tres of six-inch ductile iron cement -
lined main on Edward between Hu-
ron and Simcoe andinstalling a fire
hydrant (S21,065);. disconnect one
block of four -inch main on Huron
between Albert and Edward to re-
move an old hydrant and reconnect
four water services (S1,500) and in-
stall a fire hydrant requested by the
fire chief in front of Acme Neon
Signs (S3,000).
Remuneration
PUC chairman Murray Greene and
Commissioners Harry De Vries and
MayorBruce Shaw received stipends
of S1,150 for their attendance at
PUC meetings. In addition, Greene
received $1,908.37 for mileage and
meals, $1,012 for registration at
conventions , and seminars, and
$932.75 for lodgings, all in connec-
tion with his official duties. For the
same reason, De Vries was -paid
mileage and meals of $1,014.27,
registration of $1,189 and lodging
of $827.24.
Both Greene and De Vries have
indicated they will stand for re-
election in November's municipal
election.
Damage $60,000 in house fire
Exeter firefighters were called out
Saturday evening to battle an Us -
borne Township house fire that left
approximately S60,000 in damage
to the structure.
Exeter fire chief Gary Middleton
described the blaze as 'serious" and
;xplained it took three hours to get
it under control.
Thc house, on Usborne's Bounda-
ry Road north of Highway 83, is
owned by Glen Stcwart, but it was
the tennant John Marccllus who
called the department at 7:20 pm on
Saturday, bringing three trucks and
22 firemen to the scene to work in
shifts.
Five hours later, the firemen left,
but only to be called back at 4 am
when the fire flared up again. The
flames were out for good within
half an hour. •
Middleton logged 146 man-hours
for his department for fighting and
investigating the fire, but has been
unable to determine the exact source
of the flames. An investigation
continues.
The fire chief also noted that this
was thc 14th call to the department
this year, an unusually high num-
ber considering the department an-
swers an average of only 60 calls a
year.
List council remuneration
At the Febniary mccting of Exctcr council, a statement of renumeration and expenses for all council members
was released:
COUNCit. MEMBERS STIPEND
CHAPMAN, Dorothy
FULLER, lossy
HALL, Morley
IIOOGENBOOM, Ben
HUMPHREYS, Tom
JOSEP1ISON, Gaylan
MICKLE, Bill
SIIANY, Bruce
SNELL, Peter
S2841.00
52,841.00
52,841.00
52,841.00
52,841.00
52,841.00
S2,841.00
S5,776.00
52.841.00
PER DIEM BENEFITS
5560.00
5455.60
S420.00
535.00
5210.00
535.00
5420.00
S210.00
S93.26
$93.26
$852.8,6
593.26
S93.24.
$852.86
S310.90
570.29
MILEAGE.
AND MEATS
5439.78
5207.70
S140.20
520.00
S106.80
520.00
5230.20
5235.32
CONFERENCE.
REGISTRATION
5400.00
S315.00
5300.00
835.00
5160.00
535.00
$450.00
LOiG:ING TOTAI.
S279.50
8137.25
5185.85
5291.21
$647.05
In addition, Mickle as a representative on three provincial municipal executives, received an additional
$,1,305,31 for economic development, $1,019.87 for O.S.U.M. executive and $1,460.50 as an A.M.O. member.
•
54,613.54
54,049.21
53,887.05
S3,783.86.
53,702.27
53,024.26
55,271.76
56,532.22
52,911.29
•
Four towns still talking
on police communications
Representatives from the towns
of Seaforth, Clinton, Goderich and
Exeter met recently to discuss the
withdrawal of Wingham from the
Huron County police communica-
tions system.
Wingham has received permis-
sion from the Ontario Police Com-
mission to switch to a communi-
cations system based in Hanover
this week.
Wingham police commission
chairman Fred McGee said they
will be getting basically the same
service from Hanover as they re-
ceived in Godcrich and at almost
half the cost.
According to research by McGee,
Wingham will be getting good
quality service and a democratic
system of running the service.
The questions asked by the four
other towns included, "Is Wing -
ham's move legal"?; "Should the
others take action to ensure no oth-
er towns leave the system"? and
"Can Wingham be forced back into -
the sytem .or be forced to take any
liability if the system folds in the
future?"
A lot of discussion followed as -
to whether the termination clause
should or should not be in the
communications agreement.
Somc town officials wanted free-
dom from a binding contract while
others thought it necessary to en-
sure that no other municipality
leaves the system.
At a recent meeting, Seaforth
supported the amended 1988 pro-
posed budget, but they cautioned.
that steps should be taken to pre=
vent further deterioration of ,the
system.
Exetercouncillor and chairman .
of the police commission Dorothy
Chapman quoted percentages of
how much the system's cost has ri-
sen since its inception and also
voiced opposition to a binding
contract.
Chapman added, "We have to go
back to the original discussion
from thebeginning and the clerks
were to meet and draw up a budget,
but this was never done.. The On-
tario Police Commission said the
other towns, are merely buying a
service from Godcrich."
"For these reasons" continued.
Chapman, "I believe the original
agreement is null and void. No
way would I want the taxpayers of
Exeter to be locked into a contract
that we can't ever get out of."
The four representatives agreed if
another town pulls .out of the
agreement, the remaining three
could not support the system and it.
would fold.
Seaforth clerk Jim Crocker com-
mented, "I don't think we can lock
ourselves into something forever
because something may make it im-
possible to continue paying for the
system."
Wingham officials appear to be
pleased they will be having more
input into how their communica-
tions system is operated and felt
with the Huron County system they
were just paying fora service and'
not really participating.
On the question of the more ex-
pensive Huron County system,
McGee replied, " I have little com-
ment other than it may have some-
thing to do with management. 1
want to make it clear we are in no
way getting a second class system.
Everything is first class and all
equipment is O.P.C. approved."
Godcrich Police -Commission sec-
retary Larry McCabe said he _
thought the Huron County system
was one of the most up to date in
the province.
The ncxt meeting will be held •
March 8 at the Godcrich Town Hall
when the situation with Wingham
and the communications agreement
will be discussed.
Board- of Education wins
ABCA conservation award
The Huron County Board of Edu-
cation won one of the two conserva-
tion awards presented by the Ausa-
.blc Bayfield Conservation Authority
at Friday's annual meeting,
Trustee Tony -McQuail and super-
intendent Arnold Mathers accepted
the group conservation award for
1987 from incoming chairman Don
Lithgow.
Lithgow said the board has shown
a continuing commitment to conser-
vation education in. its curriculum
and support for individual schools to
visit Camp Sylvan. .
In 1987, the AICA in conjunc-
tion with the Maitland Valley•Con-
scrvation Authority and the Wing=
ham office of Natural Resources
sponsored a Professional Develop-
ment Day when elementary school
teachers were able to visit sites of
conservation -projects and to partic-
ipate in conservation education ac-
tivities.
The individaut award went to
Thomas Doherty who owns 669
acres of land near 'Medford and Syl-
van.
Doherty began reforestration of
his land about 14 years ago. He
has established plantations of Car-
olinian tree species such as Ken-
tucky coffee tree, Hop tree and Tu-
lip -tree.
Many other tree. species have
been planted including red oak,
white pine and black walnut plus
shrubs for wildlife. In 1987 16,200
trees wcrc planted on properties
owned by Doherty.
GET LEBEDEW AWARDS - Evelyn Lebedew made her annual presentations February 23 to the top Beaver',
Cubs and Scouts,n Exeter. Receiving the awards from the left are Scout Mark Weigand, Cub Shawn McCurdy and
Beavers Brendon Kraftcheck and Joel Evans.
Two deer killed
OPP check seven one vehicle mishaps
Seven of the eight accidents in-
vestigated this wcck by officers of
the Exeter Ontario Provincial Po-
lice detachment involved only one
vehicle.
Two deer wcrc struck and were
later destroyed when they ran into
the path of a vchicic driven by
Laurie Greg RR 5 Clinton at 9
p.m., Sunday.
A third animal also crossed the
road but was not hit. Thc.mishap
occurred on Highway 83, 3.5 kilo-
metres cast of Huron road 2. The
Greg vchicic suffered moderate
damage.
Also Sunday night at 11.50
p.m., a vchicic driven by Gary
Mitchell, Exctcr went out of con
trot and rolled over in a ditch on
Highway 4, near Centralia.
The vehicle was moderately dam-
aged and Mitchell was treated for
minor injuries at South Huron Ilos-
pital in Exctcr.
Friday night a vehicle operated by
"Daryl Little, Exctcr N ent out of
control on Concession 2-3 of Ste-
phen township and struck a mail-
box. Minor damage was sustained.'
The same day at 6 p.m., a vehicle
driven by Cheryl Harris, Huron
Park went out of control on Ste-
phen Concession road 20-21 and
rolled over in the ditch. The driver
and a passenger six year-old Crystal
Harris sustained minor injuries.
icy road conditions wcrc responsi-
ble as a vchicic driven by Michael
Butler, Huron Park went out of con-
trol on-C'oncession 2-3 of Stephen
township and struck a hydro pole at
4 p.m., Thursday.
At 4.30 p.m.,Tuesday, February
23, a vehicle operated by Jane Cor-
rigan,. Godcrich went out of control
on Concession road 10-11 of flay
township and struck a mailbox.Thc
vehicle's front end and windshield
were darnagcd.
Thc same day, a vchicic driven by
Carole Morrissey, RR 2, Cncditon
struck the gas pumps at Johnny's
Gas Bar in Crediton.
A day earlier, officers investigated
a hit and rurt accident. Kathryn Gic-.
len, RR 2 Crediton reported her
parked vchicic had been struck by an
unknown vchicic.
During the wcck, officers laid 106
charges under the Highway Traffic'
Act , 15 for Liquor Licence Act of •
-
fchces and issued three driving us -
pensions of 12 hours. One area man
was charged with dangerous driving
and failing to stop for police and an-
other was charged for driving while
under suspension: -
•
Authority annual
A -B Authority sets budget,
names chairman
page 2
Scorpio Yachts
Making a splash in
the boating business
page 5
A 'Model' Family
Part time career rewarding for
Anne and Barry Baynham family
page.8 -
From Down Under
Two exchange teachers
brave the Canadian winter
page 9
Hawks
Exeter Hawks riding a five
game win streak info playoffs
page 1A