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Times Advocate, 1992-12-30, Page 140% on chNstmss 30% on store-wioe (excluding fresh plants and custom) Cash •n Carry ; COUNTRY fLCIWfRS Exeter Happy New Year from all of us GE Geiser-Knma1e Mnsuranct North Middlesex & North Lambton inside '92 review Top photos of the year page 2 Sports review The top teams, the top scores page 10 Irish on top Racking up win number 21 Second front Tournament Stephen hosts dozens of teams Second front Strategies Pork producers need ways to manage difficult season page 13 ..:.:J,.:S.:.;:ti(��!:!':L}3r'�i',[.<.:.� i• ~ice :j} �. St. Marys Rotary' Club starts Breen Ribbon #and _, Skating into the Neu Year Since 1873 Wednesday. December 30. 1992 ST. MARYS - The Rotary Club of St. Marys has created a fund in the hope to offer rewards for infor- mation about the murders of two Ontario girls in 1992. Called the Green Ribbon Reward Fund, the Rotary Club is opening an account at the Royal Bank of Canada to collect donations to go to the reward fund for tips in the ab- duction deaths of Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy. Club president Bill Eckert said that police are not in a position to coordinate or administer such a fund, but say it could be a tremen- dous asset in their investigations. Eckert said the Green Ribbon Re- ward Fund is being considered a pi- lot project and will hopefully be ex- panded to provide a pool of money which will be available to be used as a reward f^► other cases involv- ing victims of any sex or age. The club says donations can be made al any Royal Bank branch and the club will issue an official receipt for income tax purposes. Hopes for no increase dropped Conservation Authority raises municipal levy two percent EXETER - Despite an earlier plan to not increase the 1993 Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority levy, the board of directors has agreed to a two percent increase. Spread over the 32 member municipalities, that two percent increase means the ABCA will be collecting an additional $6,747 in all, or about 160 per capita over the 42,402 people in the watershed area. General manager Tom Prout said the increase was decided on after the board noted that many of the mu- nicipalities agreed that a small increase would be ac- ceptable to maintain the conservation programs. Prout also noted that municipalities will be receiving a two percent increase in unconditional grants for 1993. The ABCA received a five percent cut in provincial funding in 1991, a 10 percent reduction in 1992, and "there is talk of an additional reduction for '93," said Prout. However, he said theauthority has been able to man- age its funds so it is not in a deficit position. Prost called the $6,747 levy increase a "modest amount" but noted that for every dollar raised by mu- nicipalities, others are added to it from other sources to help support services like the tree -planting program, erosion control, and flood forecasting and monitoring, as well as the maintenance of local conservation areas. 7 (('Ill•, Funds coming. plan needed Exeter needs group to head up economic futures plans EXETER - Town administrator Rick Hundey presented his proposal to create an economic development committee to council last week, saying a few good people are needed to help channel federal grant money to where it will do the most good. Called a community development plan, Hundey said although Exeter al- ready has groups participating in community development, this committee will be aimed at finding ways to expand the town's economic develop- ment. "Some of the things have to do with the economic conditions. Our point of view is that economic conditions can be improved through local actions as opposed to national actions. Hundey provided a list to council of possible projects and concepts the committee might want to pursue. "Whether we want to do them all remains to be seen," said, Huntley. The most important point of all is that since Huron County has been des- ignated a Community Futures area by the federal government, Exeter had better be ready to take advantage of grants funds that will be made availa- ble in the county. "What is important about that is there are going to be opportuni- ties...there is up to $50,000 for brick and mortar type projects," said Hun- dey, adding that more funds exist for other projects such as business loans. "What we've got to do is get the community thinking about those oppor- tunities...seeing those opportunities and using those opportunities," Hun- dey told council, noting that a coordinated committee will show to Com- munity Futures that "Exeter knows what it's doing and where it's going". A large scale community meeting will be needed to help start the plan. Hundey said a better effort was needed than previous attempts at starting an economic dommittee. Invited to the meeting will be business leaders, individuals, the BIA, and the town's service clubs, some of whom have al- ready expressed interest in the program. -- "From there I hope we can establish one large..one general community development committee," said Hundey. Under it, smaller groups will take on different tasks. "It's not going to work as well as we would hope unless we can get a broad base of community support," said Hundey. The overall aim is to make Exeter "more attractive to business in general and more likely to get the kind of assistance available". Deputy -reeve Lossy Fuller who was chairing last week's meeting said acouwtil.elearly.supported the idea of such a .mrd would help with stbe seganisnien of the hose tltint1 g sulaelime in the New Year. OPP called to four accidents, break-in over Christmas week EXETER - The Exeter OPP report that over the Christmas week there were four accidents reported and one impaired driver was removed from the roads. Last Wednesday police report that William Proctor of Exeter lost control of his vehicle on an icy stretch of Highway 4. In the resulting crash, Proctor suffered minor injuries and damage to the vehicle was described as severe. Also last Wednesday, Arthur Pfaff of Grand Bend struck a deer on County Road 6. There were no injuries and police list the damage as moderate. Thursday, Eric Rimmer of Grand Bend's vehicle slid off Highway 83. Police say the road was slippery at the time of the mishap. Damage was se- vere, but no injuries were report- ed. Police are also investigating a break-in at the Clearwater Air- craft building in Huron Park. Stolen was a Sanyo microwave - oven. The OPP are asking any- one with information about the theft w contact them or Crime Stoppers. Looking back over 1992: a review of the news and issues This last issue of the year gives us a chance to take a look back at the news of 1992. We have collected from our ar- chives a month by month, week by week summary of the top news stories, the most important issues as they devel- oped, and those events that may have proved entertaining or controversial. We begin the review with January's events below. Throughout this paper the reviews continue in order. On page two you will find a more visual account of 1992: a collection of some of the more graphic images captured by Times Advocate photographers during the year. For sports fans, page 10 we have a separate review of the year's top sports stories. Have a happy New Year. .ianuary Jaa*iary 1 •A vandalism spree at Exeter Public School left police investigating a possible link to a stnaah and grab robbery the some *gilt at the Liquor Store. Included in the damage at the school were about 30 windows, kicked over desks and scattered paperwork. •A Norwood Village couple were.oelebraiing their good fortune in the New Year after lowaing they had won the Lotto 649 Ftuuoorc prize. Pat and Jack Browner won $250,000 in the draw on a ticket bought from Valu Mart •Another winner was Linda Hera -of Eimer who fouled herself in pos- session of the keys that alerted up the car offe nd as fent prize in the BIA year-long shop Earner promotion. Unitary 8 Town council agreed that .while they would be being very cautious with•aew development proposals for the sown, any restrictions were not to be considered a "freeze" on building. Diminishing servicing capaci- ties for new developments were cited as the town's main reason for cau- tion. •The Solicitor Genera's office was still pressuring town council to in- stall a police services board to administer Use town police force. Council was resisting the move to replace the police committee with the board because it meant council would have a minority of votes on a ministry - appointed board. •Usborne Township kicked off 1991 in style with a New Year's Levee held at the Kirkwn Woodham Community Centre. The occasion was the celebration of the township's 150111 year since incorporation as a munici- pality. •Town police charged a 19 -year old suspect in. connection with the pre- vious' week's vandalism at the Public School. January 15 'Described es a "tax shift', Iluron County ratepayers faced a dramatic chwge in the way they would be supporting their county government cad education system. An updated market value assessment, as predict- ed, reflected higher urban property values and stagnant farm prices. Consequently, town and village ratepayers were. to be paying higher county Axes in 1992, while farmers actually saw tax cuts. •Lurgi Council was already looking forward to approving some new developments in their village, which had been under a virtual building freeze since 1987. New water and sewage services to be installed in coming months promised room for future growth. •Local monument dealer, Steve Ferguson, was joining his voice to oth- ers in his industry in saying that a proposed tax on tombstones would do little to impreve the state of crumbling headstones in defunct cemeteries. January 22 •Exeter Town Council was determined to put.th ough a no tax increase for 1992, put a hold on any pay increases to town staff. However, since wage increases had already been promised, council had doubts they could postpone them completely. January 29 •Time ran out for Exeter council as the Ministry of the Solicitor Gener- al announced council were to swear in a police services board. Under protest, council acknowledged the s' /eating in of mayor Bruce Shaw and appointees Sharon Wurm and John Stephens. •The manager of the Ausablc Bayfield Conservation Authority, Tom Prost was .trying to clear up some misconceptions among watershed councils. Apparently some .municipalities wore approving a resolution to protest a five percent ARCA levy increase. Prowl pointed out the ac- tual average increase was only four percent - about 30 cents per person. •'Ihc Exeter Fair board andounced they were more than $8,000 in the black by their .year end, achieved mainly *mesh some affective cost cutting ineltstes:a oilcan at the 1991 Fair.