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Times Advocate, 1995-02-22, Page 2Page 2 s Times -Advocate, February 22, 1995 IN THF. NF.W.S Regional wrap up Area men will run to represent Liberal party BLYTH - John Jewitt of RR1 Londesboro, Doug Garniss, a Wingham area farmer and Rick Mclnroy announced their inten- tion to seek the nomination to represent the Liberal party in the provincial election. An election has yet to be called but the nomination will be held at Central Huron Secondary School, Clinton on March 29 re- ported The North Huron Citizen. Jewitt is both a farmer and an employee of Champion Road Machinery in Goderich. He has served 12 years on Hullett coun- cil, four as reeve. He has also been a member of the Huron County Board of Education for 14 years. Garniss is also a member of the HCBE as a trustee and chair of the education committee. The fourth candidate is Sharon Wurm. Mitchell Co-op.to join with Stratford MITCHELL - At a meeting cast Thursday evening the Mitchell Co-op voted in favour of a motion to amalgamate with the Stratford District Co-op at a meeting last Thursday evening. The Mitchell Advocate report- ed that the benefits which con- vinced the members to join with Stratford include: better use of capital money and assets, in- creased productivity, increased customer service and increased buying power. The two members of the new Perth County Co-operative are both members of Growmark Inc., a regional supply co- operative. CN bridge part of Wescast plans WINGHAM - Preservation of the former CN Rail bridge over the Maitland River is part of Wescast Industries' plan for their Wingham property. The $6 million plan includes building expansion and land- scaping plans for this spring, the Advance -Times reported. Westcast first expressed inter- est in the bridge plan when CN failed to remove the bridge last fall within the 120 days required in the purchase agreement of land with the town. A citizen in- terest group asked for a delay, of six months to look at the future possibilities of keeping the bridge in place. The bridge and the land be- tween the bridge and Josephine Street is of interest to Wescast as an entrance route to the foun- dry and machining plant. Hall of Fame study to begin next month ST.MARYS - Nineteen firms have submitted their names to conduct a feasibility study on the Baseball Hall of Fame to evaluate organization and make recommendation to improve the financial planning and fund- raising efforts. The comprehensive study is expected to cost about $101,000, paid for in part by a grant from the provincial government, re- ported the Journal Argus. Accidents a result of poor road conditions EXETER - Six accidents near Exeter on February 13 were con- nected to the poor road condition, reports the Exeter OPP. Vehicals driven by Gerturde Bea- ver and William Mackean, both from Exeter, collided at 163 Main Street. There were no personal in- juries and the damage to vehicles was light. Michael Zimmer of Dashwood slid off Concession 2-3 and hit a utility pole. Although there was no report of personal injuries, the ve- hicle damage was listed as severe. The vehicles driven by Eugene Becker of Stephen Township and Theresa Decorte of Staffa collided at the intersection of Highway 81 and County Road 4. Damage was considered light and no injuries were reported. A vehicle owned by Judith Vin- cent of Dashwood was involved in a single car accident on Highway 81 and County Road 4. Damage was moderate and no injuries were listed. Vehicles driven by Gary Peters of Thedford and Frank Leishman of Ilderton collided on County Road 2 at 178 Centre Street. Vehi- cle damage was severe. The sixth reported accident on February 13 involved two vehicles driven by Barry Page of Goderich and Peter Scanlon of Lucan. Dam- age to vehicles was light. On February 15, vehicles driven by Bryan Regier of Zurich and Daniel Durdin of Dashwood were involved in an accident on Conces- sion 8-9 in Hay Township. Dam- age of the vehicles range from moderate to severe. Susan Coates of Exeter and Jef- frey Kerslake of Centralia were in- volved in a snowmobile accident on the trails near Concession 2 in Hay Township. Coats was reported as suffering personal injuries in the accident. Hensalgs winter carnival The students at Hensall Public School enjoyed some milder weather Thursday at their winter car- nival. Included in many activity stations was a parachute ball toss, pictured above. Brianne Webber led the way for her team in a race which involved lots of team- work and coordination. r Stephen approves several sewer system agreements CREDITON - A number of agreements concerning sewage systems were approved by bylaw at the February 14 regular meeting of Stephen township council. The township will be entering into an agreement with the Ontario Clean Water Agency and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs to finance the expansion of the sewage main north on Highway 21 at Grand Bend. An infrastructure grant from the federal and provincial gov- ernments will be used to make sewer improvements at Huron Park.Council has accepted a report from administrator Larry Brown and will request a capacity of 600 m/3 day (additional to current usage) be provided to the township by the pro- posed Grand Bend sewage system expansion It was agreed that a decision to extend sewage system ser- vices to the residential subdivisions and commercial proper- ties on Highway 21, north of Grand Bend be deferred based on public comment received as part of the Environmental As- sessment Study. The terms of the present garbage collection agreement with Larry Lewis of Lucan have been 'extended for a one year pe- riod effective April 1, 1995 and the township will be request- ing tenders for 1996 collection services. The township will be supporting proposed sidewalk con- struction in the police villages of Crediton and Dashwood and will proceed to apply to the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario for a sidewalk grant. Frank and Zoltan Karvas attended the recent council meet- ing to discuss an agreement with the township to upgrade the municipal road serving their subdivision between Lots 20 and 21, Concession 19. An agreement for some road im- provements wil be signed after two propsed clauses were de- leted. Concerning the same subdivision, a bylaw was approved changing the zoning on six lots comprising part of Lots 20 and 21, Concession 19 and Lot 7, Concession 13 from Gener- al Agriculture to Agriculture- Small Holding. It was also agreed by council that since changes to the zoning bylaw since the public meeting of October 4, 1994 were of a minor nature recurculation wil be unnecessary. Council wil be requesting proposals for the supply of a fire department tanker truck and chassis with approximately 1,600 gallon cpacity for the Stephen Township fire depart- ment. The township will be waiving the condition that A.L.K. Holdings provide a redesign of their proposed development as a condition of their cosent on part of Lot 39, Concession South Boundary. Requests for funding from the Huron County Historical So- ciety and the Stephen Central Public School Parent-Teacher Community Association were denied. A good financial year for area insurance company By Ross Haugh T -A staff KIRKTON - A spirited election and an excellent financial report featured Monday's annual meet- ing of the Usborne and Hibbert Mutual Fire Insurance Company at the Kirkton-Woodham Com- munity Centre. Secretary -manager Mike Caers reported that 1994 was again very successful in a financial way with net income for the year listed at $787,729. This is despite the fact there was an underwriting in- come loss of $139,500. President Joe Chaffe explained that the reason for the underwrit- ing loss was two large barn fires late in the year. Despite this, the accumulated surplus rose from $13,868,351 a year ago to the present amount of $14,670,250. Caers continued, "With those two fires at the end of the year, I feel the underwriting loss is a good measurement of where we are going with our rates and our rates are set properly." Chaffe said, "We are the envy of a lot of mutual insurance com- panies with our large surplus, sol- id base and good policyholders. It was certainly a good year and we are able to continue our policy of returning a good portion of our surplus to our customers." The total amount of rebates be- ing returned to company policy- holders will be $648,110 in cheques , Caers said will be in the mail during the week of April 3. This money has already been deducted to come up with the previously reported net income of $787,729. The healthy financial position of the company has enabled the directors to declare a refund from surplus to the policyholder first in 1982 and continually since the 1984 fiscal year. As in recent years, the refunds this year will amount to 30 percent of premi- ums paid on policies which have been in place for at least three years. The company's net premium in- come during 1994 was $1,957,053 as compared to $1,842,832 the previous year. The company follows the policy of underwriting and reinsuring contracts of insurance which, in the main, limit the liability of the company to a maximum amount on any one claim of $100,000 in the event of a property claim, $50,000 in the event of a liability claim and $60,000 in the event of a farmers' accident claim. In addi- tion, the company has obtained re- insurance regarding stop Toss cov- erage. In further explanation of the fi- nancial report, Caers said, "We show premiums receivable of $51,580, but I believe about 95 percent of that amount has been paid since December 31. As a result of the re -assessment of the company's 1990 income lax return, the company paid S13,402 in income tax. The opening bal- ance of earned surplus for 1993 has been adjusted to reflect this payment. The company has filed a notice of objection with Revenue Canada. Caers continued, "We only pay in- come tax on non-farm premium income." The auditor's report was given by David Bean of Fammc & Co. of Stratford. Close to 400 policyholders were in attendance at Monday's meet- ing to participate in an election to name two directors. Filling the two open positions will be incum- bent director Joe Chaffe who has been president for two years and newcomer Morris Willows. The other present director who did not stand for re-election was Lloyd Morrison. The balance of present directors include vice- president Larry Gardiner, Lorne Feeney, Jack Hodgen and Mi- chael O'Shea. The other nominees for the two positions were former Hibbert township reeve and Perth county warden Ivan Norris; Fullarton farmer Gerry Sykes; Dave Foster who lives three miles north of Kirkton and Robert Harmer of Fullarton, a retired Ministry of Transportation employee. In confirming his nomination before being elected, Morris Wil- lows who operates a dairy farm, just south of Carlingford said, "We need to be prepared to make important changes in the future as hanks are now in the insurance business. I can't stress enough for this company to maintain its large surplus and not get into the car insurance business." Ivan Norris in his nominating comments gave a brief history of the insurance company. It was formed in June of 1876 with head- quarters in Farquhar. Early meet- ings were held in Robert Gardin- er's cheese factory and Duncan's general store. In 1882 the company had 770 policies. The total now is 2,804. In the early days the company re- fused to pay fire claims caused by steam engines. The company agents are Joseph Uniac of Mitchell; John Moore in Dublin and Wayne Maver of Ex- eter. The latter just recently joined the company to replace Ross Hod- gen, also of Exeter who was an agent for the past 22 years. The Uabome & Hibbert Mutual Fire Insurance Company elected its board of directors for the next year at the firm's 119th annual meeting in Kirkton, Monday afternoon. Back, left, newly elected director Morris Willows and agents Joseph Uniac,John Moore and Wayne Maver and secretary -manager E.J. (Mike) Caers. Front, directors Lome Feeney, Mike O'Shea, Jack Hodgert, Larry Gardiner and Joe Chaffe.