Loading...
Times Advocate, 1998-12-02, Page 22 Exeter Times -Advocate Wednesday. I)eceniber 2. 1')°M In the News Regional wrap ups History ringing out at Exeter Fire Hall Gambling • debate tonight CLINTON • - The issue of bringing slot machines . to the Clinton Raceway will" be debated tonight (Dec. 2) at Central Huron uron Secondary School at 7:30 p.m.. The two sides in the slot, machine debate will be balanced.- according to The Clinton News - Record. Jane Holmes, ex- ecutive -director of the Ontario horseRacing in- dustry, Association and Jini Cronin of the Ontario Lottery Corporation will. be. on the side arguing for the slot machines. • - Speaking against the • arrival of legalized- gam- bling will be John War- ren Kindl, • who has ap peared at numerous U.S.- Congressional and' Sate Legislative hearings . on gambling. fie will " - be • .ye4ed by Norm Corrin. chair of Citizens for a Ca- sino -Free 'London and Robert Parr, :.vice- principal of Seaforth Dis- trict High School who will be addressing local interests. • ian Fleming, manager of. the- Clinton Raceway has agreed to- be availa- Deer cull a success Continued from front page ' At that point the deci- sion will be made when_ to have more culls. The original -plan was to reduce the pop- ulation by 30 per cent - every year for three years. ' Huis said there has been little public reac- tion to the cull over the past week and he cred- its park employees with getting the mes- sage out to the public that the cull is neces- sary and the deer, are hurting the _park and becoming' unhealthy because of their large numbers. While he is happy with the -results of last week's- cull, Huis warned it could be sev- eral years before vege- tation in the park begins to recover. He said the success of the cull was due to the work of the First Nations shooters and park employees who worked as a team and showed commitment towards the project. The majority of the meat from the deer will be going to the First Nations, although some will be distributed to area food banks. ble to make a case for the local raceway but he will not be a member of the panel, as he does not EXETER Exeter fire - feel that is his role. lighters . halted a welcome Roger Stryker, a mem- ber of the Clinton and By Craig Bradford TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF return to a piece of their Area Social Action Com- Past last reeently• mittee told the News- The Huron County Record . no members of Museum has permanently local government have loaned Exeter's fire bell to stepped forward to vol- the Exeter. and Area Fire unteer to give Clinton .Department and the bell council's point of view at has been 'mounted in. the debate. Ile hopes a front of the fire hall on local proponent will William Si . come forth to participate Exeter Fire Captain and on the panel... fire department historian Danny Smith said the bell was 'refurbished and Wilkinson wins mounted .for display nomination efforts the generous efforts of Glavin S'I`itA'I'FORI) In a Sandblasting. Kongskilde • changing of the guard, • and Herb Bloom. Stratford businessman Huron Courtly Museum John Wilkinson. a new - curator Claus Breede. comer to politics;" has described the recent cere- won the Liberal nomina mony officially handing tion in Perth Middlesex over -the bell as "repatri- for the provincial elec- . ating the object" 'andto tion expected next.year. commemorate Exeter's. The Journal Argus re- 1250 - an.niversary of ports Wilkinson won a incorporation this year. close two-way race with The bell was first. St.. • Pauls .area farmer brought to the Huron and teacher Brian Innis County Museum . in .at the Coliseum in Strat- Coderich in 1950. - ford on - Nov. - 18. A 28- It had been used to call vote. margin separated the volunteer firefighters the two candidates. into action since the town The riding's urban- bought. it in the mid= rural nature was mir- 1880s. . rored by the- two.candi- it was.used till 1950. dates and in the -end may first at the north end fire have helped. Wilkinson .hall on Alexander Si. and secure victory "in his later mounted on two home town of Stratford. poles after the north end The Conservative nom- . fire hall was demolished ination - is tentatively set" in 1933 (see a brief histo - for January. As of yet no ry on the Exeter Fire one has stepped. forward Department in sidebar). - to challenge Perth MLA. - The bell was on display Bert Johnson " for the at the museum till. '95 nomination. , when -that- part of the Walter Vernon,,a museum was renovated - teacher living in lldertn, and has been sitting in was selected as the NDP . storage since. - candidate in an uncon- Exeter Mayor Ben tested " nomination. 'last Hoogenboom was on "August. • hand to represent the town. • • - " MI Reim The bell is back. Exeter Fire Captain Danny Smith, left, Mayor Ben • Hoogenboom, Huron County Museum curator Claus Breede, Fire Chief John Morgan and Exeter. Firefighters' Association secretary/treasurer Bill Vandeworp mark the return of the department's original fire bell.in front of the fire hall recently._ - "We believe some of the gin." he said. "It gives the would 'else be displayed history dating back to museum a small presence at the hall. before. the town was in Exeter we are really ., Items. on display now incorporated rightly grateful for." include an original deserves recognition," Smith is glad to, have the Defiance Co. No. 2 helmet lloogenboom said: bell back. and a trumpet won at the Any extra costs- refur- "We don't have much of St. Thomas Fireman bishing the bell were paid our past to reflect on." he Games .by the Exeter Fire" for by the Exeter said: - _ _ Department in 1893.. Firefighters' Association: Exeter Fire Chief John For more information or The bell isn't, the first Morgan agreed on the if you have an item the -historic item the museum bell's significance. - fire department could put has returned to Exeter. "It's a good symbol of on display. call 235-1981. Just over la years ago the -dedication." he said, Many items marking m u s e -u m _ • adding the _ Exeter's history are on returned a "It gives the museum a bell is a display at the. Huron 1944 fBicklesmall presence in - reminder of County .Museum. The Seagrave • the hard- museum is located at 110 pumper to Exeter we are really ., s . h i p s North St. irrGoderich. Exeter. grateful for.". Exeter vol- The museum is' open 10 It was —•HURON COUNTY unteer fire= a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday- restored onday- restored MUSEUM CURATOR f i'g h t e r s Friday and 1-4:30 p.m::on and eventu- CLAUS BREEDE , have had to Sundays (closed- on ally bought - deal with Saturdays in.winter). The by an _ over the museum is open -10 a.m.- 'Exeter firefighter and is years. 4:30 p.m. in the summer. often put on display. The Exeter and Area For more information on Breede has mixed emo-- Fire Department is look-. . the museum, call (519) -tions about sending a ing for artifacts from .the 524-2686. treasured museum item town's original two fire FYI: Though the bell is back to its hometown. departments to display at -on display, Exeterites "It's always painful but the fire hall. won't be hearing its loud it's always rewarding. They are also looking chimes...it. can't be rung - having an item on display - for any old articles or pic- • anymore. in its community of ori-. tures- from the past that Buyout package offered to Biddulph workers Continued from front page Lucan administrator Ron Reymer said the packages are similar to others offered in the pub- lic and private sectors. Biddulph Reeve Earl French, the future mayor of the merged Lucan Biddulph, said all employ- ees have till Friday to decide whether or not to take the buy-out package and end their employ- ment with Lucan or Biddulph. He said all employees except the three who have been laid off could remain with the new municipality if they choose. Lucan Reeve Robert Benner said the buy-out packages were offered to all employees to create "a level playing field for everyone." "It's the first step in them participating in the new municipality," he said. The decision to lay off Hotson, Johnston and Hackney -came after the transition board (the appointed entity to make decisions leading to the merger) meeting on Nov. 23. The three were told of their plight Nov. 24 (Tuesday morning) after the Times -Advocate went to press. The transition board meeting was held in -cam- era because it dealt with personnel issues that are not open to public debate under the Municipal Act. The transition board has examined the prelimi- nary operating structure of the new municipality. Benner said, and the lay- offs are part of the pic- ture. He said the cuts to staff are a necessary evil due to several workers filling the same roles at both municipalities, municipalities, "it seemed likethis was in the best interest.of both municipalities," Benner said. "It was not a unani- mous decision." French confirmed nei- ther either the transition board vote or the joint council. 'vote after to finalize the layoffs were unanimous. Neithervote was record- ed. The transition board is made up of French, Benner, Lucan Deputy Reeve Harry Wraith, Biddulph Deputy Reeve Paul Wallis and Lucan administrator Ron Reymer. Reymer was recently named the chief adminis- trative dministrative officer of the merged municipality. Reymer said both votes have to be "reconfirmed" at the next transition board meeting tentatively set for Dec. 7. He said it's unlikely the votes will be overturned. nature of the meeting overturned. nature of the meeting, "I'd say the hardest decisions have- been Made." French • said, admitting it has been a tough week for . all involved. "You are upset- ting people's lives. it's not an easy thing to do." Benner concurs. "it was a very difficult decision that 1 don't think anyone was happy with," he said. "Things are going to be more positive from here on out. The really nasty business is over now." Johnston has worked for Lucan for almost 27 years, while Hackney has worked for Lucan for 18 years and Hotson has been with Biddulph for over eight years. The original merger proposal called for all current staff to be kept on till six months after the official merger date. Due to the in -camera details why the original plan was scrapped were not divulged. - in other business, the new municipality will likely have to buy a new computer system some- time next year to handle themerged tax and accounting systems and to address the Y2K (the •Year' .2000) problem. Reymer said. Biddulph's computer and tax systems will be used for now. A decision to hand the Lucan TD Bank branch all of the new municipali- ty's banking services will likely be overturned to give the Lucan Bank of Montreal branch (Loran's current bank) an equal chance to bid for the ser- vices, French said. "It may be a combina- tion of both," French said. "We don't know that yet."