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Times-Advocate, 1999-03-17, Page 1.r. SIP'S v u -mart 4 & 83 Exeter 235-0262 Check our part' supplies SEIP'S v u -mart 4 & 83 Exeter 235-0262 Large selection of all occasion cakes TIMES ADVOCATE Exeter, Ontario, Canada Wednesday, March 17, 1999 $I.00 (includes GST) Press banned from meeting :,r:.:x-;:.vs<:-`t3�•:,,;:ur:ax::a.+.:.z:.x�+a,;;$c'`:'t?'1d;;:.�r-L.f :..-:,.:�xax::.,:<:;><:.r:r::-x=::;:L-x,.•o-i:::.:;.;-:::<:,: •.i;;., L / F HOLMESVILLE — members of the m( arrived at an oil ar meeting on Mar. 24, they were surprised to find out they were not allowed to attend the information meeting. The Huron County Federation of Agriculture sponsored the meeting a newly -formed organiza- tion, Gas Lease Landowners of Ontario (GALLO), ran at the Goderich Twp. • Commmini;.y Centre in Holmesvtlle. Shortly before the meet- ing, a GALL() lawyer con- tacted HFA staffer Paul Nairn and told him the media would not be allowed to attend the meeting. GALLO spokesman Leonard McMurphy told – the T -A the press was banned because strategy would be discussed at the meeting. A GALLO lawyer also asked four members of the public to leave because they were involved with lease arrangements. Dump fees get facelift EXETER — Town staff Hospital ER forced to close for a day r hc}s±efui hova are going to do some num- ber juggling to make Exeter's dump make the financial grade. Town council conducted an in -camera (closed to the public including media) meeting Monday night to discuss the landfill site's revenue shortfall. Last year the dump was expected to generate $140,000 in revenue but only brought in about $105,000. The shortfall is due to the town's wildly success- ful waste reduction efforts and a reduction in com- mercial business. Town staff will revise the tipping fee schedule to help generate more rev- enue. In the past, uncom- pacted waste has been charged the same rate as compacted waste. The uncompacted waste fee could be increased to help erase the shortfall. Chief administrative offi- cer Rick Hundey will also try to increase the dump's customer base In the municipal and commercial markets. Usborne parents upset over comments by School Board members by Michele Greene SEAFORTH - A school board administrator and trustee met with Usborne Central Public School parents after they set trustees straight on how much homework they had left to do on the school's accommodation review report. Last Tuesday night Avon Maitland District School Board trustee Bob Allen and superintendent Janet Baird -Jackson met with the parents to let them know the parents' work is finished. The issue of excess accommodation pertains to all schools in the district's south end, not just Usborne, said Baird -Jackson. "The challenge is we have too much space in the south," she said. Janine Dougall, of Usborne's viability committee, said the parents were pleased Allen and Baird -Jackson met with them following the presenta- tion. "I think they realize we have done our job," she said. Dougall told trustees that parents took offense to comments made at the last meeting that they hadn't completed the school accommodation review. She outlined the school's efforts, including dances to promote community spirit; meetings with .rents from the Mitchell area about possible border changes with Upper Thames Elementary School; a published brochure and planned open house to welcome new families; and a meeting with all South Huron District High School feeder schools, except Exeter Public School, whose parents refused to meet with the Usborne parents over boundary changes. The Usborne committee then completed its report See USBORNE page 3 By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF EXETER — The much talked -about rural doctor shortage was felt in Exeter this week as the South Huron Hospital was forced to close its emer- gency room on Sunday. While the emergency room is again open, the hospital had no staff to cover the 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. shift on Sunday, forcing those in need to receive health care at other hos- pitals. South Huron was also forced to close its emer- gency room for a day last year during the Victoria Day. weekend. It closed again for a shift in June. President of the Huron Perth , Hospitals Partnership Bonnie Adamson said the closure was "an unfortunate inci- dent" that nobody in the partnership wanted to see happen. The decision to close,the emergency room for the Sunday shift was made Saturday morning by Adamson and site admin- istrator Janice Cosgrove when it was clear no doc- tor could be found to cover the shift. As a result of the clo- sure, Adamson and Cosgrove met with the South Huron Hospital was forced to dose its emer- gency room Sunday because of a doctor shortage. Hospital chairperson Doug Hoover fears the emer- gency room will be closed again unless a solution to the doctor shortage problem is found. Ministry of Health in Toronto on Monday to discuss the issue. They were also to meet with staff at South Huron Hospital on Tuesday to discuss how they can keep the emergency room open. Adamson described her- self as optimistic a solu- tion can be found and said "it is not our intent to let (the closure) happen again." She blamed the closure on the shortage of doctors in rural Ontario and said other counties are also experiencing similar problems. She did admit, though, that the problem "seems to be exacerbated" at South Huron, which is the See EMERGENCY page 2 New Canadian Tire plans OKed By Craig Bradford TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF EXETER — Exeter council has given Canadian Tire the green light to build its new store on the north side of Thames Rd. W. near Main St. The 30,000 sq. ft. new store ` with an additional 6,000 sq. ft. garden cen- tre will have three times the retail space of the current store on Main St. in Exeter's south end. The store will also include the traditional car servicing department. "We're anxious to get under construction," Canadian Tire official John Scharrer said at the meeting. Council sent Canadian Tire back to the drawing board last September due to traffic concerns on Thames Rd. (Hwy. 83), especially with motorists making left hand turns while westbound on Thames Rd. into the new store. Canadian Tirc respond- ed to these c6ncerns in the new drawings. The original plans had the store front facing east with parking directly in front of the store front. The new plans call for the parking lot to be directly off Thames Rd. with the store located behind the lot further north on the 5.7 acre site which is now vacant and used as farm land. The store will feature a whopping 168 parking spots while•only 81 are called for by law. Other notes from the meeting: Daffy day coming The Alpha Tau Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi was granted permission by council to hold their annual Daffodil Day on March 26 with all pro- ceeds of the flower sales going to the Canadian Cancer Society. The sale may be extend- ed to March 27 as well. Building down Service delivery manag- er Dave Moyer reported the total of two building permits issued so far this year are valued at $9,500 compared with the seven issued worth $282,500 during the same period last year. Moyer said construction in Exeter should pick up in the coming months.