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Times-Advocate, 1988-06-08, Page 1imes Serving South Huron, North Middlesex One Hundred and Seventeenth Year voce e & North Lambton Since 1873 EXETER, ONTARIO, June 8, 1988 I Price Per Copy 60 Cents FRIENDLY KITTENS - Steve Willis, Kimberly Toonk and Jarrett Palen enjoy some young kittens during a visit of Toodlers Inn nursery school students to -the Exeter Animal Hospital. Building permits go over million dollars for the month of May EXETER - Spurred on by five new residential dwellings, the value of building permits issued in Exeter during the month of May surpassed the one million dollar mark. Chicf building official Brian Johnston's monthly report revealed that he issued 41 permits for a total value of $1,333,401.66. The exceptionally high total for one month, brings the 1988 overall figure to $2,554,506.12. That's al- most S367,000 more than the totals for the same time span in 1987. Last year's 12 month total esta- blished a new record of over six million dollars. During the first five months of this year, Johnston issued 23/ per- mits, one less than the same period a -year ago. In addition to the five new resi- dences, the May permits included 15 residential renovations and addi- tions, six commercial renovations and additions, two industrial renova- tions and additions, one insitutional rcnovationss and additions, three swimming pools, seven tool sheds, sun -decks, carports and gauges and two demolition permits. Two permanent signs were ap- proved bringing the 1988 total to six and 14 tcmporary sign permits were issued bringing this year's to- tal to 35. . Want Sunday shopping input EXETER - Are you opposed to additional Sunday shopping? If so, the town of Exeter would like to hear from you and will as= sist in getting your feelings to the proper authorities in Toronto. A deadline of Friday, June 17 has been set for local churches, organi- zations and individuals to get their submissions to the town office. Two local churches were repre- sented at Monday's regular council meeitng to voice their oppostion to open Sunday shopping and a number of others are already on record. Harold DeVries represented Exet- er's Christian Reformed Church while Frcd and Pat Dobbs and Gary Balsdon were in attendance from Trivitt Anglican Church. DeVrics told council, " Our .church is definitely against it. A common day of rest is good for mankind. Everyone needs that rest which increases our family life. All I can see from more Sunday shopping is total chaos." Fred Dobbs, a church warden and on Biddulph township council said, " As a church official, I think it is immoral to allow more Sunday shopping than we now have. Addi- tional disruption to family life and interference with the quality of re- ligion is not going to improve the basic family unit." He continued, "As a councillor, I abhor the thought that some irre- sponsible neighbouring council will force the merchants in my ju- risdiction to demand legislation al- lowing them to compete in the Sunday market". A letter was recived from local resident Joanne Wareham which in part said, " I hate to see Sunday be- come the same as any other day of the week. Everyone regardless of re- ligious beliefs, needs a special day to stop and recharge themselves, both physically and emotionally. Opce lost, this family day of rest will never be regained." A letter from Sybren DeBoer car- ried the same message regarding the necessity to set Sunday aside as a day of worship, a day for rest and a day for family times. DeBoer continued, " One more day of shopping would not increase total weekly sales, but spread the sales of six retail days over seven. It would increase operating- expenses in light of one more day of operat- ing costs and wages." Councillor Ben Hoogcnboom re- affirmed the stand taken by. the Ex- eter Business Improvement Associa- tion to oppose Sunday shopping. But, he added, "That's fine, but what about pressure from other munici- palities staying open." Pat Dobbs, part of the Trivitt del- egation and a public health nurse said, " I'm not here on public health,: but I know additonal work- ing hours will put more physical and emotional pressure on employ- ees and lead to more family break- downs." Councillor Gaylen Josephson add- ed, " One of the biggest problems facing our county is family break- down and that day of rest is neces- „ Insuggesting the submission deadline of June 17, Deputy reeve Lossy Fuller said, " Churches should have this Sunday to get addi- tional support." Reeve Bill Mickle in charge of the meeting in the absence of Mayor Bruce Shaw for the first hour commented, It's too bad we can't have one common law. For a long time municipalities were allowed options as far as liquor laws were concerned and Huron was the last county to fall in line in the prov- ince. I believe the same thing could happen and we would have a check- erboard effect." The only letter in support of Sun- day shopping came from Jan Barry with reservations. She said, "Stores should not open until noon or 1 p.m. and any staff that does not wish to work Sunday on a regular basis should not be forced to. do so." The letter continued, " It would Please turn to page 2 Purchase computer system EXETER- Exeter council Mon- day night approved the purchase of a computer system from ATC ,_Business Centres, in Goderich. The new Auto -Administrator system will allow office staff to complete municipal taxation, ac- counts payable, general ledger, -general receipts and a building in- spector's planning system is in- cluded. A provincial grant of $10,000 will be received on the total cost of $38,3"0. Mayor Bruce Shaw commented, " It's a system that makes a lot of sense and will fill our needs not inly for now, but for the next 10 ycars." - Reeve Bill Mickle said clerk - treasurer Liz Bell had done a lot of work in researching available sys- tems. He added, " We have a lot of confidence in her judgment." Bell added, " I.believe this system best fits our needs and will also be compatible with the auditor. We had $34,000 in reserves for a purchase like this. We get the $10,000 grant for the building inspector's portion of the system. ACT sales representative Andy Thompson told council, " There are now 160 municipalities in Canada using this system's software. Only a week ago, the township of How - ick ordered a similar system." Access not always easy for disabled in Exeter EXETER - Though this is the era oT high-tech, of sophisticated computers and walks on the moon, the physically handicapped and dis- abled do not find Exeter "user- friendly". This was brought home quite graphically last Friday to a numbcr of local people who were temporarily encumbered with walk- ers, wheelchairs, ear plugs and/or various other impediments to nor- mal functioning, then sent out to Complete some tasks able-bodied People take for granted. Each was assigned a Lioncss helper to push wheel chairs, open doors, and ren- der any other needed assistance. The group met first at the Exeter Legion, where they could view the displays set up by participating or- ganizations whose representatives had organized the four Access Awareness Days held in Huron County. They also saw a short film featuring the accomplish- ments of some remarkable people who had turned their disabilities into challenges. Aftcr some bandaging and tap- ing, the volunteers set out to walk in another's shoes - or braces - or wheel chair. * * * * Mayor Bruce Shaw, representing a person afflicted with multiple sclerosis, had both knees immobi- OFF TO THE WASHROOM - Fire Chief Gary Middleton, accompanied by Nancy Chambers, sets off to use the men's washroom in the municipal building. The two were taking part in Access Awareness Day. POSTAL FIGHT Rural Dignity criticize mail service Page 2 lizcd, and his hands. encased in oven mitts. He had to use a walk- er to get from the Legion to the phone booth outside the municipal office, retrieve a quarter from his shirt pocket, and make a phone call. His arms and hands were tired by the time he reached the phone. Af- ter some complicated manoeuvres to get the quarter, Shaw managed to dial his number, and.discovered the phone was not working. Shaw's experience precipitated a promise for money to be allocated for more curb cuts in downtown Exeter this year. He said the "tremendous cost" prohibits exten- sive renovations to existing build- ings to accommodate the disabled, but access ;is included in plans for any new .public Structures. Shaw said a ramp at South Hu- ron and District High School's li- brary gives access to the school's ground floor, and the back door is also wheel -chair accessible. Getting around while disabled is "a lot of hard work", Shaw con- cluded. * * * * -Fire Chief Gary Middleton, Icft arm in a sling and Icft Icg impeded, was assigned to get to the munici- pal office and use the men's room. Middleton reported later he had no trouble "going in and doing what I had to do". He had more trouble "getting decent again", and found that if he had been wearing a belt instead of clastic -waist jogging pants, he would have had to ask for help. Middleton, who is six feet four inches tall, kept bumping his head on awnings, and catching his "bad" leg on the curbs. He lamented the paucity of park benches, saying he was tired and ready to rest halfway between the bench at the library and the one in front of the town office. * * * * Jo -Ann Middleton was accompa- nied by Liz Bell as she navigated her wheel -chair to Darling's IGA on a mission to return some bottles and buy a bag of apples. Jo -Ann took the elevator from the Legion Hall to the ground floor. As the elevator is kept locked when not in use, she had to wait for BIG BROTHERS Awards and fishing events Page 9 someone to unlock the door on both departure and return. Someone had to hold the door open while she em- barked and disembarked. Jo -Ann needed her helpers assis- tance with the IN door at the IGA, which opens out. Sliding doors would be much easier, she decided. She had no difficulty in picking out the apples, and there was room at the cashier's to get a wheel -chair through. The cashier was very helpful, suggesting she could have unloaded her groceries and gone around the counter the other way to the exit end to pay and pick them up. When Jo -Ann and Liz took a tour of Main St., they discovered that Exeter sidewalks slope toward the highway in certain stretches. For the first time, they noticed the many stores that have one or two steps leading to the entrances. Jo -Ann figured that in most cases she could get a clerk's attention by tapping on the window. This would be impossible at the PUC of- fice. * * * * Exeter councillor Lossie Fuller could not leave her wheel chair. -to try on shoes at Wuerth's and cloth- ing at Gerrard's. The first assignment presented no problems. The second did. Lossie and her whccl-chair took up all the dressing room space, and the door could not be closed around her. Saleslady Brenda Coates was very helpful, offering to let Lossie use the back storage room to guarantee her privacy. •Lossie toured some of the side streets, and found them more bumpy than Main St. "A little bump is as bad as a step. You hope your wheels will go over; otherwise, you come to a stop", she reported. * * * * Rick Hawley, minister of Exeter United Church, was also put into a wheel -chair and had his hands band- aged in preparation for getting to Greeting Card World and .buying a card as a quadruplegic. He too com- plained of bumpy, uneven side- walks, steps'up to stores, and doors opening the wrong way. He noticed a definite slant in the sillewalk from MOHA WKS Senior hockey club presents a rds Pe 2A the PUC to the Raymond and McLean law offices. Iielper Mary Lou Becker was up- set that a group of women talking outside the Big V and blocking the way would not move aside to let her and I Lawley pass. * * * * Stephen township reeve Tom Tomes stopped at Standard Trust for coffee and cookies, and to rest his immobilized leg, on the way to MPP Jack Riddell's office. Hob- bling along with his four -footed cant, gave him ample time to no- tice the many stores with a step up to their doors. He became very aware of uneven spots and cracks in the back street sidewalk. BUYING A CARD - Rick Hawley was pushed around by Mary Lou Becker as he shopped in Greeting Card World. VACATION FARMS E3ed and breakfast offered Page 6A Tomes classed Riddell's office three flights up in the Devon Build- ing as "not easily accessible". Riddell' was busy with some con- stituents, so Tomes stopped to talk with George Godbolt, who also has offices on the third floor. Godbolt admitted his concern for people with physical handicaps or breathing problems who attempt the ascent to the third floor offices.- * * * * Hensel! reeve Jim Robinson tem- porarily entered the world of the deaf and disabled to take his walker to Ellison Travel to book a flight for two to Bermuda. On the way, he met an acquaintance who started to chat, and wondered why he wasn't responding. Robinson pointed, to his cars, then pulled out his invita- tion from the Access Awareness committee. Robinson reported the agency's steps arc ,not wide enough for a walker..Once inside, all communi- cations between himself and the travel consultant were in writing. The counsellor was ',cry helpful, but Robinson said later she must have wondered what was going on - he had been in a few wccks ago to book a flight to Bermuda for him- self and his wife in late summer. "My assistant and I leave in two weeks - and you owe • Ellison's $2,029 cach for our flight and'ac- commodations", Robinson jokcd to committee members when recount- ing his adventures back at the Le- gion. Helper Lauretta Siegntr described the experience as "strange". She could not talk to her companion as they walked along the street. "It's a lone world when you are deaf. You are by yourself", she said. * * * * Town employee Ross-Mathcrs. was equipped with crutches when he and helper Rosemary Straw set out to get a list of rates from the PUC. The steps and the door were major obstacles for someone hampered by a "broken leg". Rosemary then took Mathers on an exploratory tour. A purchase at the Polka Dot proved that carrying a bag while handling crutches was Please turn to page 2 SH HOSPITAL Prodtictive, successful year Page 15A