Times Advocate, 1999-11-10, Page 3Wednesday,November 10. 1999
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In the News
Smith calls it quits after 38 years
By Craig Bradford
• TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
ZURICH -- Working anywhere
for 38 years is enough for any-
one.
Just ask Zurich's Gord
Smith who has been
behind either a Hay
Township grader or
snow plow for exactly
that long.
Smith's retirement
was celebrated at an open house
at Zurich's Dominion Tavern
Sunday afternoon.
Not only a grader and snow
plow driver, Smith has also been
seen behind the wheel of a back-
hoe and various trucks. Smith
has ended his career as Hay
Township's lead hand on the
road crew.
Happy to call it quits after so
long, Smith, 59, admitted he'll
miss "the boys" and "going to
work every day."
What he won't miss is
winter's whiteness on
the job.
"I'm definitely not
going to miss the snow,"
he said.
The biggest changes
Smith has seen over the years is
the move from 100 horsepower
snow plows over time to the now
huge up to 290 horsepower rigs.
Another welcome change is the
gradual elimination of many
farmers' field fences that helped
grow snow drifts to over the 15
"I'm definitely
not going to
miss the
snow,"
GORD SMITH
foot level.
Smith said he'll spend his free
time woodworking and travelling
with his wife of 38 years, Cecilia.
His years of work and his mar-
riage will always be synonymous
since the couple got married on
Oct. 14 all those years ago and
he started his job with Hay
Township on Nov. 1.
From a family of 21, Smith was
born and raised in the Zurich
area and has spent all his life
there.
He and Cecilia have had five
children who have gifted them
with eight grandchildren aged
one to 12.
"They can keep us keep quite
busy," Smith said.
Lib
plans face changes
Continued from front page
Exeter Reeve Roy
Triebner, who sits on a
committee overseeing the
new library, said the costs
of a new library and exact
plans haven't been decid-
ed yet.
He said the goal of the
committee is to have final
decisions on plans -and
costs by the end of the
year and for construction
to start in the spring.
He, added the committee
doesn't want the new
library fund-raising drive
to compete with the pro-
posed Exeter medical
clinic drive.
Figures from a public
meeting in May have the
original sized library cost-
ing between $450,000-
$550,000 (the range
comes from a few differ-
ent options presented).
The town has already set
aside $100,000 for a new
library and council may
decide to spend some of
the $240,000 provincial
Special Circumstances
Fund grant on the project.
The current library,
built in 1912, has out-
grown its 2,400 sq. ft. of
usable space.
A library committee
meeting set for Monday
was postponed due to the
death of Triebner's father
who was buried on
Monday.
Arena bu get passed by
Lucan Biddulph council
By Scott Nixon •
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
LUCAN BIDDULPH —
While 1999 is almost
over, Lucan Biddulph
council just passed the
Lucan Community Centre
budget last week.
The budget came in at a
deficit of $54,873.47, up
from the usual yearly
deficit of $20,000, arena
board chairman Perry
Caskanette said. The
deficit is higher than
usual this year because of
a $23,000 buyout pack-
age to former arena man-
ager Paul Dykeman.
That situation arose
from the quitting of the
arena secretary and the
decision from the board
to offer Dykeman a buy-
out and amalgamate the
secretary and manager's
position.
While that resulted in a
higher deficit this year,
Caskanette said the
reduction in stab should
save the arena $15,000-
$20,000 annually in
future years.
Also contributing to the
higher deficit was an
increase in costs to the
arena such as painting,
cleaning up and work on
the gym floor.
The budget was passed
so late in the year
because Middlesex
Centre, who shares 'eight
per cent of the arena's
budget, wants out of the
deal and didn't pass a
previous budget proposed
in the spring.
Lucan Biddulph contin-
ues to negotiate with
Middlesex Centre and
McGillivray Township
(which also shares eight
per cent of the budget)
and Caskanette said he's
n9t sure if Middlesex
Centre will pass this bud-
get.
While Lucan Biddulph
council has passed the
arena's budget, all three
involved municipalities
have to pass it.
On the plus side,
Caskanette said in gener-
al he's happy with the
budget and said the arena
made an extra $10,000
on ice rentals.
Threechargedinareadrugbust
GRAND BEND — Three people have
tbeen charged in connection with a
;Grand Bend area drug bust.
The North Lambton OPP said drugs
worth mor.e than $38,000 were
seized on Nov. 3 after a search war-
rant was used by the Lambton Sarnia
Drug Unit (LSDU) at a Lakeroad West
home in Hay Township and an earli-
er search at a Ontario St. S. home. in
Grand Bend.
Those charged include a 43 -year- '
old male, a 39 -year-old female and a
35 -year-old female. No further infor-
mation was available at press and
the investigation continues.
The North Lambton OPP asks any-
one with information on the above to
call them at (519) 786-2349 or Crime
Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
Signs stolen
Several 'Century 21' realtor lawn
signs from various locations in Grand
Bend were stolen during the evening
of Nov. 4, North Lambton OPP said.
The total value of the signs is about
$325.
The OPP is also investigating the
theft of a brown and yellow 8'X1.5'
wood marquee sign from the Old
Harvest Market along Lakeshore Rd.
in Bosanquet. The theft happened
prior to 8 a.m. on Nov. 8.
The sign is worth $500.
38 years and counting. Cecilia and Gord Smith
celebrated Gord's retirement from the Hay Township
roads crew with co-workers, friends and family during
an open house at Zurich's Dominion Tavern Sunday
• afternoon.The couple have also been married for 38
years. (photolKraig Bradford)
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