Times Advocate, 1989-07-19, Page 1i
wickfnarre—
(EXETER TOYOTA
242 Main St. N. Exeter
Across from O.P.P.
Phone
235-2353
41'
Gaiser-Kneale
Insurance
Exeter 235-2420
Grand Bend 238-8484
Hensall 262-2119
Clinton 482-9747
North Middlesex & Lambton
Since 1873
Wednesday, July 19 1989
60 cents
Bogus
$100 bills
ZURICH - An alert teller spot-
ted as counterfeit eight American
$100 bills proffered for exchange
into Canadian money at the Zurich
branch of the Bank of Montreal on
July 10.
An unknown number were passed
in Grand Bend at the same time.
The phoney bills have been for-
warded to the RCMP's commercial
crime section.
A 27 -year-old Sarnia man is be-
ing held in Chatham. His name is
being withheld until a bail hearing.
Police say they have not yet
charged the suspect and are waiting
for positive identification.
The Exeter OPP are investigating
the case along with the Chatham
Police, various OPP units, and the
RCMP commercial crime section.
The case is still under investiga-
tion. Chatham police Inspector
Jim Boyle said there is "definitely
more than one person" involved in
the counterfeiting scheme.
Stabbing
in Hensall
HENSALL - Brian Moir of Hen-
sall, required medical attention after
a minor stabbing incident that oc-
curred at a party at a private home
in the village on Saturday.
The locatiornift't ii e ,_.....y
-not been released because the RE
home's owners are not expected tofl14If
return until later this week.
Members of the Exeter OPP who ...—
investigated the case said the sus- . �.,.-
Minor ball is in full
swing all across the
region for hundreds
of area kids.
Blake Ryan,
of the
Crediton Atom
team is
shown here
taking a
big cut during
his game in
Grand Bend
Thursday
night.
Crediton
lost the
game 9-7.
Deputy clerk quits
GRAND BEND - Deputy -clerk
Christine Smith handed in her res-
ignation last Monday July 10, be-
coming the third person from the
village municipal office to quit
their position in the last four
months.
Smith said the workload became
too much after former clerk Mol -
lard's resignation in March. Mol -
lard left to take the position of de-
puty treasurer in Bosanquet
Township and Smith was named
acting clerk until a new one could
be found.
But after Mollard's departure,
council decided to streamline office
procedure and eliminate some du-
ties while reassessing other office
personnel and that is when the
workload began to increase accord-
ing to Smith. Citing the increased
workload secretary Barb Dalrymple
submitted her resignation in late
April.
"It got to the point where I
couldn't handle it any more. It was
like three people trying to do the
work of five,' said Smith.
The village hired a pair of stu-
dents for work in the summer but
Smith said they are not easing the
workload of the regular staff be-
cause one is working exclusively
on parking tickets and the other
spends her time between the Busy
Bee Nursery School and the Harbor
building.
"The whole staff tried to tell
council that we were getting further
and further behind and they just
chose not to believe us and said we
don't need the help, but I can't see
it getting any better anytime soon.
I was just living my job too much
and banging my head against the
wall whenever we needed some-
thing from council," said Smith.
Smith had been working for the
pect is a young offender• -•wire '--
identity can not be revealed. Police
currently hold an arrest warrant for
is
Urlin not
against
Foundation
FXF.TF.R Councillor Dave
Urlin said at Monday night's
council meeting he was not
happy with last week's T -A
report on the deal struck over
the Old Town Hall.
Urlin said he did not dispute
the wording of the report, but
said it reads as if he recom-
mended a councillor join the
Heritage Foundation meetings
Ust to keep an eye on them.
rlin said he has nothing
against the. Foundation and
thought a link with council
would help the organization
. reach its objectives.
• "I thought it made me look
bad," said Urlin.
"Stick around, Dave," said
Mayor Bruce Shaw.
village for almost 10 years and said
she loved everything she ever did in
her job and is not a quitter at any-
thing but added "I want to find a
job out there where I don't have to
•bring my work home with me eve-
ry night, which is what I was do-
ing here," she said.
Last week the village hired
Wayne Tingle as clerk to finally re-
place Mollard but Smith said that
would not change her mind about
leaving.
Smith's resignation will take ef-
fect July 28 while Tingel is not ex-
pected to start until August 8.
Village reeve Bob Sharen said he
will be sorry to see Smith leave.
"I think she is a very caring indi-
vidual and very easy to work with
and I think whoever hires her will
have a very hard worker and I want
to wish her all the luck in the
world," said Sharon.
Who will pay?
$21,000
mistake
EXETER - An error in a contract
cost Exeter taxpayers $21,000, it
was revealed at Monday night's
council meeting. However, coun-
cil is hoping to recoup some of its
losses with either the contractor or
the engineer.
The contract over the reconstruc-
tion of Huron Street was signed
with Van Bree Drainage on a per-
unit basis. One of the units was
missing a zero, thus only one-tenth
the required item was accounted for
in the contract price. The final dif-
ference of approximately $21,000
was passed on to the town.
Works superindendent Glen Kells
said neither he nor B.M. Ross
Consulting Engineers noticed the
discrepancy until the tender had al-
ready been approved: A letter from
Van Bree said the company is not
prepared to credit the town with the
difference.
Reeve Bill Mickle tried to remain
optimistic about the loss.
"The error cost us more money,
but we're still within our estimates
(on the project)," said Mickle.
The second lowest tender on the
job was $9,000 higher, but was not
accepted, meaning the town actually
paid $12,000 more than necessary.
Mayor Bruce Shaw demanded to
know where the mistake originated.
Kells said the error was made by
Van Bree on the tender information,
but it was not caught by himself or 'T
the engineer.
Deputy Reeve Lossy Fuller
thought the engineer's insurance
should cover the difference.
Kells said such insurance does not
coveraccountingerrors, and if it did
the deductible would likely be high-
er than $21,000.
Shaw suggested the $9,000 differ-
ence in tender prices should be re-
funded from Van Bree, and the
$12,000 difference be shared equally
between B.M. Ross and the town:
Counci! referred the matter to the
town's lawyer.
Arson cause of
$60, 000 fire
HENSALL Arson destroyed
two 12 by 35 foot units at Gener-
al Manufactured Homes, Hensall
on Sunday July 9. The -fire was
reported by Tom Dickins at 1:45
a.m.
The assistant arena manager had
been screening ,the ball diamond
in preparation for a Kinsman tour-
nament.
"It took five minutes. I saw
nothing before I started, but when
I looked up flames were shooting
25 to 30 feet into the air", Dick-
ins said.
Besides destroying the two
units, the fire caused minor dam-
age to two others before being ex-
tinguished by the Hensall Volun-
teer Fire Department. Damage is
estimated at $60,000.
An investigation being conduct-
ed by Exeter OPP Constable Rick
Borden with the assistance of In-
spector Tom Dewhurst of the On-
tario Fire Marshal's office in Lon-
don has determined the blaze was
set intentionally.
The OPP asks the public to as-
• sist in this investigation by pro-
viding any information they may
have either directly to the Exeter
detachment by phoning 235-1300,
or through Huron County Crintc
Stoppers at 1-800-265-1777.
Crosswalk complaints
EXETER - At Monday's council
meeting, Mayor Bruce Shaw men-
tioned that complaints have been
coming into the town office regard-
ing the crosswalk installed at Main
and Victoria Streets.
Shaw said that with no crossing
guard on duty in the summer
months, children are taking it for
granted that motorists will stop
when the button is pushed. He
said many cars are not stopping.
"People, not realizing the lights
are activated, are going to hit these
kids," said Shaw, adding that while
the crossing was built to ministry
specifications he called the lights
ineffective in getting motorists' at-
tention.
"I think we're in a worse situa-
tion than we were before," he said.
"People arc not paying attention to
those flashing lights."
Councillor Ben Hoogenboom
wondered if there were not enough
charges being laid against those
who drive through the crossing
when activated.
"I don't think it's intentional,"
Please turn to page 2
Tuiieraes1ost rec cent
Eplosions level elevators
Apia, itrir� "�4•a a
four grain elevators and a grain cleaner at W.G. Thompson's
Granton facilities.
The first blast blci.pairtygrairrvitv-etorikiiigTepIilled by
two Blenheim millwrights. The two men, working 60 feet
above the ground, escaped with their lives.
Edward Huckle, 22, of 101 Lumbley St. and his foreman,
William Hummel, 29, of 34 Chittim St., employees of Dorser
Welding in Blenheim, were taken to University Hospital in
,London where they were treated for minor burns.
Damage was estimated at more than $200,000 by Bill Goos,
manager of W.G. Thompson in Granton. He said the elevators
will have to be rebuilt.
• Huckle said "I'm lucky to be alive. There was fire every-
where and we were right in the middle of it."
He said the explosions erupted at noon after Hummel
knocked a steel bar loose with a hammer. The men had just
finished cutting through the bar with a torch.
Grain elevators, which are airtight, can be as combustible as
a "propane tank" when dust become compressed inside them,
Huckle explained. -
Hummel, who wasn't available for comment, lost his hair
from flames that leapt from the bar, Huckle said.
Hummel's first reaction was to jump from the ladder to the
ground, but he was restrained by his safety belt, Huckle said.
Engineers will be at the site today to investigate, Goos said.
1
TOM* champion - Judy Ellis, right, of Judy's Jeans In Lucan poses with her grand champion
turtle Mitch's Monster while Tom O'Connor, left of Ailsa Craig, holds the runner-up turtle
Speedy Spike. Turtle Master Doug McNair, at back made sure all the races were legal and head-
ed
eaded for drug testing.
•
•
i
Inside
Bend parking
Council axes
shuttles
page 2
Hurex
Rent, don't buy
page 5
Gala Days
Turtles make
a run forit
page 6
Co-op terminal
CN commits
to service
page 14
Swim team
starts season
page 17
•
Eugene Fox
reports on
Graham crusade
page 23
Bogus
$100 bills
ZURICH - An alert teller spot-
ted as counterfeit eight American
$100 bills proffered for exchange
into Canadian money at the Zurich
branch of the Bank of Montreal on
July 10.
An unknown number were passed
in Grand Bend at the same time.
The phoney bills have been for-
warded to the RCMP's commercial
crime section.
A 27 -year-old Sarnia man is be-
ing held in Chatham. His name is
being withheld until a bail hearing.
Police say they have not yet
charged the suspect and are waiting
for positive identification.
The Exeter OPP are investigating
the case along with the Chatham
Police, various OPP units, and the
RCMP commercial crime section.
The case is still under investiga-
tion. Chatham police Inspector
Jim Boyle said there is "definitely
more than one person" involved in
the counterfeiting scheme.
Stabbing
in Hensall
HENSALL - Brian Moir of Hen-
sall, required medical attention after
a minor stabbing incident that oc-
curred at a party at a private home
in the village on Saturday.
The locatiornift't ii e ,_.....y
-not been released because the RE
home's owners are not expected tofl14If
return until later this week.
Members of the Exeter OPP who ...—
investigated the case said the sus- . �.,.-
Minor ball is in full
swing all across the
region for hundreds
of area kids.
Blake Ryan,
of the
Crediton Atom
team is
shown here
taking a
big cut during
his game in
Grand Bend
Thursday
night.
Crediton
lost the
game 9-7.
Deputy clerk quits
GRAND BEND - Deputy -clerk
Christine Smith handed in her res-
ignation last Monday July 10, be-
coming the third person from the
village municipal office to quit
their position in the last four
months.
Smith said the workload became
too much after former clerk Mol -
lard's resignation in March. Mol -
lard left to take the position of de-
puty treasurer in Bosanquet
Township and Smith was named
acting clerk until a new one could
be found.
But after Mollard's departure,
council decided to streamline office
procedure and eliminate some du-
ties while reassessing other office
personnel and that is when the
workload began to increase accord-
ing to Smith. Citing the increased
workload secretary Barb Dalrymple
submitted her resignation in late
April.
"It got to the point where I
couldn't handle it any more. It was
like three people trying to do the
work of five,' said Smith.
The village hired a pair of stu-
dents for work in the summer but
Smith said they are not easing the
workload of the regular staff be-
cause one is working exclusively
on parking tickets and the other
spends her time between the Busy
Bee Nursery School and the Harbor
building.
"The whole staff tried to tell
council that we were getting further
and further behind and they just
chose not to believe us and said we
don't need the help, but I can't see
it getting any better anytime soon.
I was just living my job too much
and banging my head against the
wall whenever we needed some-
thing from council," said Smith.
Smith had been working for the
pect is a young offender• -•wire '--
identity can not be revealed. Police
currently hold an arrest warrant for
is
Urlin not
against
Foundation
FXF.TF.R Councillor Dave
Urlin said at Monday night's
council meeting he was not
happy with last week's T -A
report on the deal struck over
the Old Town Hall.
Urlin said he did not dispute
the wording of the report, but
said it reads as if he recom-
mended a councillor join the
Heritage Foundation meetings
Ust to keep an eye on them.
rlin said he has nothing
against the. Foundation and
thought a link with council
would help the organization
. reach its objectives.
• "I thought it made me look
bad," said Urlin.
"Stick around, Dave," said
Mayor Bruce Shaw.
village for almost 10 years and said
she loved everything she ever did in
her job and is not a quitter at any-
thing but added "I want to find a
job out there where I don't have to
•bring my work home with me eve-
ry night, which is what I was do-
ing here," she said.
Last week the village hired
Wayne Tingle as clerk to finally re-
place Mollard but Smith said that
would not change her mind about
leaving.
Smith's resignation will take ef-
fect July 28 while Tingel is not ex-
pected to start until August 8.
Village reeve Bob Sharen said he
will be sorry to see Smith leave.
"I think she is a very caring indi-
vidual and very easy to work with
and I think whoever hires her will
have a very hard worker and I want
to wish her all the luck in the
world," said Sharon.
Who will pay?
$21,000
mistake
EXETER - An error in a contract
cost Exeter taxpayers $21,000, it
was revealed at Monday night's
council meeting. However, coun-
cil is hoping to recoup some of its
losses with either the contractor or
the engineer.
The contract over the reconstruc-
tion of Huron Street was signed
with Van Bree Drainage on a per-
unit basis. One of the units was
missing a zero, thus only one-tenth
the required item was accounted for
in the contract price. The final dif-
ference of approximately $21,000
was passed on to the town.
Works superindendent Glen Kells
said neither he nor B.M. Ross
Consulting Engineers noticed the
discrepancy until the tender had al-
ready been approved: A letter from
Van Bree said the company is not
prepared to credit the town with the
difference.
Reeve Bill Mickle tried to remain
optimistic about the loss.
"The error cost us more money,
but we're still within our estimates
(on the project)," said Mickle.
The second lowest tender on the
job was $9,000 higher, but was not
accepted, meaning the town actually
paid $12,000 more than necessary.
Mayor Bruce Shaw demanded to
know where the mistake originated.
Kells said the error was made by
Van Bree on the tender information,
but it was not caught by himself or 'T
the engineer.
Deputy Reeve Lossy Fuller
thought the engineer's insurance
should cover the difference.
Kells said such insurance does not
coveraccountingerrors, and if it did
the deductible would likely be high-
er than $21,000.
Shaw suggested the $9,000 differ-
ence in tender prices should be re-
funded from Van Bree, and the
$12,000 difference be shared equally
between B.M. Ross and the town:
Counci! referred the matter to the
town's lawyer.
Arson cause of
$60, 000 fire
HENSALL Arson destroyed
two 12 by 35 foot units at Gener-
al Manufactured Homes, Hensall
on Sunday July 9. The -fire was
reported by Tom Dickins at 1:45
a.m.
The assistant arena manager had
been screening ,the ball diamond
in preparation for a Kinsman tour-
nament.
"It took five minutes. I saw
nothing before I started, but when
I looked up flames were shooting
25 to 30 feet into the air", Dick-
ins said.
Besides destroying the two
units, the fire caused minor dam-
age to two others before being ex-
tinguished by the Hensall Volun-
teer Fire Department. Damage is
estimated at $60,000.
An investigation being conduct-
ed by Exeter OPP Constable Rick
Borden with the assistance of In-
spector Tom Dewhurst of the On-
tario Fire Marshal's office in Lon-
don has determined the blaze was
set intentionally.
The OPP asks the public to as-
• sist in this investigation by pro-
viding any information they may
have either directly to the Exeter
detachment by phoning 235-1300,
or through Huron County Crintc
Stoppers at 1-800-265-1777.
Crosswalk complaints
EXETER - At Monday's council
meeting, Mayor Bruce Shaw men-
tioned that complaints have been
coming into the town office regard-
ing the crosswalk installed at Main
and Victoria Streets.
Shaw said that with no crossing
guard on duty in the summer
months, children are taking it for
granted that motorists will stop
when the button is pushed. He
said many cars are not stopping.
"People, not realizing the lights
are activated, are going to hit these
kids," said Shaw, adding that while
the crossing was built to ministry
specifications he called the lights
ineffective in getting motorists' at-
tention.
"I think we're in a worse situa-
tion than we were before," he said.
"People arc not paying attention to
those flashing lights."
Councillor Ben Hoogenboom
wondered if there were not enough
charges being laid against those
who drive through the crossing
when activated.
"I don't think it's intentional,"
Please turn to page 2
Tuiieraes1ost rec cent
Eplosions level elevators
Apia, itrir� "�4•a a
four grain elevators and a grain cleaner at W.G. Thompson's
Granton facilities.
The first blast blci.pairtygrairrvitv-etorikiiigTepIilled by
two Blenheim millwrights. The two men, working 60 feet
above the ground, escaped with their lives.
Edward Huckle, 22, of 101 Lumbley St. and his foreman,
William Hummel, 29, of 34 Chittim St., employees of Dorser
Welding in Blenheim, were taken to University Hospital in
,London where they were treated for minor burns.
Damage was estimated at more than $200,000 by Bill Goos,
manager of W.G. Thompson in Granton. He said the elevators
will have to be rebuilt.
• Huckle said "I'm lucky to be alive. There was fire every-
where and we were right in the middle of it."
He said the explosions erupted at noon after Hummel
knocked a steel bar loose with a hammer. The men had just
finished cutting through the bar with a torch.
Grain elevators, which are airtight, can be as combustible as
a "propane tank" when dust become compressed inside them,
Huckle explained. -
Hummel, who wasn't available for comment, lost his hair
from flames that leapt from the bar, Huckle said.
Hummel's first reaction was to jump from the ladder to the
ground, but he was restrained by his safety belt, Huckle said.
Engineers will be at the site today to investigate, Goos said.
1
TOM* champion - Judy Ellis, right, of Judy's Jeans In Lucan poses with her grand champion
turtle Mitch's Monster while Tom O'Connor, left of Ailsa Craig, holds the runner-up turtle
Speedy Spike. Turtle Master Doug McNair, at back made sure all the races were legal and head-
ed
eaded for drug testing.
•
•
i