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Times Advocate, 1994-8-24, Page 1SEIP'S vale -mart 4 & 83 Exeter 235-0262 Bring us your drycleaning $3.95 Skirts It Pants Agent for Sketehty Cleaners erving Exeter and area since 187 SEIP'S valu-mart 4 & 83 Exeter 235-0262 All varieties Homemade Sausage $1.99 per Ib. ligellegeMOWN ' If you aren't subscribing to The Ti Atm oatte,,, you're sing out.I ale subsrfbe today! below and c 1 Name: 1 I Address 111 City Prov 11 ■ Postal Code , SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada W/Nrdn 40 miles - (65 Mn) addressed to non letter carrier addresses $30.00 plus Rio G.S.T. 'Outside 40 miles - (65 !on) or any letter carder address $80.00 + $4.20 G.B.T. ' Outside Canada -$99.00 ( M.. postage) ' USE YOUR CREDIT CARD ' 00000000 1 00000000 Cara No. I Expiry Date 0 Visa 0 Master Card ' 0 Cheque enclosed Return to; TIMES ADVOCATE `t4 Main ri i mei ExeterOnt.NOM Bmo 1 1 Same idea Two developers thinking alike See page 2 Car show Centralia event isahit See page 10, Bean festival Zurich's big day is Saturday See pages 11-15 Helping children Rainbows is a new program Crossroads Second front Scholarship • Gillespie heads to Michigan See page 18 Classifieds pages 22-24 Announcements pages 25-26 Experts page 27 Plus Home Locator Elimville family escapes blaze that completely destroys home The alarm cry of a smoke detector saved at least one life, insists the Exeter fire chief By Adrian Harte T -A Editor ELIMVILLE - A smoke detector and a back -yard camp out are cred- ited with avoiding a tragedy in Elimville last Tuesday evening. Fire destroyed a home in the ham- let, but Exeter fire chief Gary Mid- dleton says it is fortunate no one lost their lives. "They were very fortunate to even get out of the place" What caused the blaze at the home of Brian and Debbie Lawton isn't clear. Middleton said there is a possibility a "smoke bomb" used to control rodents might have been a factor, but he said the official cause is still undetermined. "They definitely lost every- thing," said Middleton, who de- scribed the back of the house and garage as completely destroyed, and much of the front and upstairs as severely damaged by heat and smoke. It was an Exeter volunteer fire- fighter, Kathy Kirk, who first spot- ted the blaze from her house across the street. Middleton said he had to credit her for calling the fire de- partment and then trying to alert her neighbours who were still in the house. However, at least one smoke detector1 h al y gone cff as the _ fed t;[ite back of the home. The Lawtons and a relative were in the house, and the children were sleeping out in a tent in the back yard. "I think that's what saved a po- tentially tragic situation," said Middleton, who said he doubts everyone could have escaped if all were inside. Flames and heat drove back the Lawtons when they tried to escape through the back door. Fortunately, the front door .r was clear. "They were very fortunate even to get out of the place," said Mid- dleton. This was the first serious house fire in a few years for the Exeter department, said Middleton, who pointed out it was the first such emergency for many of the new volunteers. A combine -harvester fire earlier in the evening in Win- chelsea made for one busy night last Tuesday, he said. Insurance adjustors have written off, the Lawton's home, and it will be torn down to be rebuilt. Mid- dleton admitted it was a bit ironic to see the house demolished after the firefighters battled a stubborn fire for several hours to save it. However, had the blaze progressed unchecked, two large propane tanks beside the home would sure- ly have exploded. The South Huron Hospital nurses are collecting donations to help out the family of their co-worker, Deb- bie Lawton. Cash donations, and clothing are being accepted at the hospital to help them rebuild their lives. A stubborn blaze continued to eat away at the roof of the garage attached to the Elimville home destroyed by fire last Tues- day night. Exeter firefighters had to pry away the roof and eaves to extinguish each spark and ember. Despite their efforts, the house was written -off by insurance adjustors and scheduled to be rebuilt. Mickle now president of Assoc. of Municipalities Exeter's reeve has made his way to the top chair of the provincial group TORONTO - Exeter reeve Bill Mickle is now the president of one of the biggest lobby groups in the province. The presidency of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) was the final step for Mickle's ca- reer with the provincial group since he got involved with a sub -organization OSUM (Ontario Small Urban Municipalities) in the mid-1980s. Mickle served as the chairman of OSUM in 1991, which led to a vice- president's seat on AMO's board in 1992. Elected as first vice-president last year, the position lel to his ac- clamation Monday evening at the an- nual convention at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto. The one-year termwill last until nett August's' convention "Assuming I'm re-elected [as Exeter reeve] in No- vember," said Mickle. Mickle said he still hasn't made a decision on whether he will seek re- election as reeve, or run for another seat on council - possibly the mayor's chair, since Bruce Shaw has said this will be his last term. "I want to do 4vhatever I can for the town, properly," insisted Mlckle, add- ing that his duties with AMO may have some bearing ,on his election plans. AMO spends most of its efforts in negotiating with and lobbying the provincial govern- ment on behalf of all Ontario municipalities. "There's a wide range of operations...that are under continual discussion," said Mickle, but agreed that the one main goal of the organization is to see a Municipal Charter of Rights drawn up with the province in the near future. "What were really after is some concrete, legislative guidance," said Mickle. With some 150 separate pieces of provincial legisla- tion affecting the operations of Ontario's local govern- ments, Mickle said the confusion resulting from over- laps in responsibilities and jurisdiction needs to be cleared up. Motor's i's reeve Bill Mlckle, now the president of the As- sociation of Municipalities of Ontario, has yet to decide his fall municipal election plans. "That's a horrendous amount. It's got to be simplified," said Michie. Also, the role of the municipality needs to be more clearly defined so that Queen's Park is less able to in- terfere in local operations, download taxes or responsibilities onto the lower tier, or cut funding programs without warning, which Mlckle said is presently "the big one". The theme of this year's AMO convention is "Staying alive", re- flecting that need to battle funding cuts. Workshops focusing on the various problems facing municipal- ities are a big part of the convention, and the leaders of the three train Ontario government parties, Premier Bob Rae, Lyn McLeod, and Mike Harris, are all attending to discuss those issues. Mickle said AMO's main goal is to find a permanent solution to mu- nicipal problems in a Charter of Rights to last into the next oentury, and not just a temporary "hand -aid" repair. Once a Charter is in place, then reforms to the Municipal Act can begin. "Times have changed dramatically," said Mlckle, and called much of the provincial/municipal relationship outdated. • A tax-free council? Although one member disagrees, council thinks its stipends should be exempt from income taxes EXETER - Town council supported a Walkerton resolution to see council stipends made tax exempt. Councillor Ben Hoogenboom offered the one voice against the resolution, arguing that the public often complains about the salaries of MPs and MPPs, but acknowledges they should pay taxes the same as everyone else. "I think this is somewhat insane," said Hoogenboom of Walker - ton's resolution. "This goes against what everyone is saying." "We're not relying on the income we get from serving...and I'd rather see Revenue Canada keep their hands off it," commented councillor Bob Spears just before council agreed to support the mo- tion. Trees to get the chop in Zurich Seven trees, blocking traffic visibility will be lost from Zurich's downtown intersection. ZURICH - Seven trees will get the axe in Zurich, in the interest of road safety. The seven trees closest to the village's main intersection have been a source of debate for several past council meetings, but last Tuesday coun- cil agreed the issue had been delayed too long. The trees are accused of blocking the visibility of drivers of large ve- hicles. "I think we might as well get rid of the trees, if they're causing so much trouble or the bus drivers," suggested councillor Dwayne Laporte. "It's August now, and the school buses will soon be here." Councillor Barb Jeffrey said that dwarf trees or shrubs might make a less hazardous replacement for the trees, "but I think they might look real- ly silly beside those tall trees there." Council agreed to support Leporte's motion to remove the trees, and postponed a decision on what measures, if any, would be taken to re - beautify the corner.