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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-11-18, Page 1( wn going through natural process BY JOANNE BUCHANAN Various ways to promote and attract business, industry and tourism in the town of Goderich were discussed when the Goderich Economic Development Committee (GEDC) met with Business Improvement Area (BM) chairman Pete McCauley Friday. The GEDC had invited representatives of the BIA to a meeting because of a concern over the number of vacant stores around The Square. McCauley told the GEDC that his committee was working on a plan to make vacant stores around The Square look used. He said he would be trying to get permission to have the former People Store painted and to hang paintings in its windows. He also said there were plans to hang some pictures in the win- dows of Earl Rawson's vacant store. He further informed the GEDC that a $150,000 low interest government loan had recently been approved the derich to finish putting interlocking brick down the side streets off The Square. He said his committee was also considering mailing out a marketing survey to the people of town to ask them what kinds of im- provements they would like to see. "We've got three shopping areas in town and none of them are doing very well," McCauley said. GEDC member Bruce Sully said he felt the town was going through a natural evolution. "I think the town will cure itself. We're not .inthe panic stage yet. The town isn't going to hell in a handcart," he said. He agreed with McCauley about the former People Store. "I think it's terrible that that store should be allowed to be the way it is," he said. He suggested putting photographs of the town by Mac Campbell in vacant store windows along with museum pieces and the video-tape on the town of Goderich. He said the video --tape could play con- tinuously ,in a window and could also be aired on Channel 12. "Let's sell Goderich toGoderichites," he said. Both McCauley and the GEDC said they felt some good -ideas had come about at the meeting and agreed to get together whenever necessary, In other business, the GEDC reviewed the 1981 Municipal Profile as related to the town of Goderich. The Municipal Profile is „a publication published annually by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism giving data on - individual municipalities in the province. It is used internationally and domestically to provide information to prospective investors for manufacturing and commercial locations. The GEDC agreed to update the information on Goderich in the Profile. It was reported that two signs had been erected, one at the airport and one at the Industrial Park, stating that industrial sites are available and giving a phone number for interested persons to call. The signs are small and inexpensive and will serve until more elaborate ones can be designed and erected. Commissioner of Works, Ken Hunter, presented the GEDC with:a list of industrial permits issued by the town as of October 20 this year. There were a total of 13 permits issued amounting to $1,860,115 and Hunter reported that there have been more since, bringing the total to over $2,000,000. "It's been a good year. There weren't any new industries but the existing ones are doing well," Hunter concluded. GEDC chairman Jack Brady noted that the com- mittee must balance Its efforts between helping existing industries and attracting new ones. SIGNAL g,. 133 YEAR -46 GODERICH, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1981 50 CENTS PER COPY The little girl behind the clown face is Andrea the arena by Myles Caskie of Owen Sound. (Photo by dnanse, who was one of about 50 kids that par- Cath Wooden) ticipated in the clown clinic held Saturday morning at Expansion of town water distribution system a must Expansion of the water storage and distribution system is a must for Goderich and council and the Public Utilities Commission will investigate the possibility of initiating expansion plans. While the Ministry of the Environment claims the atnrage and distribution system is inadequate to accommodate growth, the town will also solicit a submission .from the PUC on the advantages of the town taking ownership of the system. In a motion at a regular meeting Monday, council has asked the PUC commission to meet and discuss theadvantages of the municipalities takeover of the water system. Administrator Larry McCabe s'aggested the commission could also include a comparative study of other municipalities where the takeover has occurred. The finance committee of council will prepare a report on the financial implications of the takeover and the possible staging of payments. Expansion of the storage and filtration plant will cost $1,789,700 with grants estimated at $773,400. That would leave the municipality with a bill of $1,016,300. PUC chairman, Dr. Jim Peters appeared before council and explained that the present water distribution system, although in good shape, is inadequate to serve the needs of the community. "The plant has been in operation 20 years and is capable of handling 3.5 million gallons per day. The water is good and the distribution system is in good shape," he said. "But the present system, aeaeording to authorities, is -good for a population of 13,000- se it was obsolete the day it was put into function." The existing water tower has a capacity of 250,000 U.S. gallons and could be used for 20 years. But, Peters explained, it necessitates the enforcement of water restrictions in summer, water is needed for fire fip sting and the town, is not in a good bargaining position to attract a heavy water use industry. "The system was adequate in 1961. Now we have approval from the Ministry of Environment to build two storage cells with a total capacity of 1.5 million. gallon*" he. explained. "Then we would have to update the plant to pump the additional water to the cells." The storage cells would be contained on a parcel of land on Huron Road at the Suncoast Drive extension. Councillor Jim Searls claimed that Goderich has one of the highest water rates in the province and asked if expansion would mean an additional in- crease in rates. Dr. Peters explained that the water is provided to the customers at cost adding that the present facilities are inefficient. He added that a new automated system would also reduce the work force required to operatethe distribution system. There are five operators in the Goderich plant while a new facility in Port Elgin requires only two operators. While councillor Elsa Haydon questioned the necessity and advantages ¢of the town taking over the water system, she also suggested that automation would put people out of Work, "We .have five people now and maybe only two in the future," she said. "I am notfi pressedby adorned -Ott' Turn to page 3, • Teachers reject contract offer Salaries keep. board, teachers apart by Stephanie Levesque - Salaries ' are keeping Huron County secondary school teachers and the Board of Education from reaching a settlement for the Sept. 1, 1981 to Aug. 31, 1982 collective agreement. With the release of a fact finder's report on .Mon- day, Nov. 16, negotiations between the two sides are at an impasse. No Meetings :to. continue negotiations have been set. Shirley Weary, chief negotiator for Ontario Secon- dary School Teachers' Federation .(OSSTF) . District 45, said, "there is no reason;; to believe a settlement can't be negotiated". When.afckked about the possibili ty of a strike, Mrs. Weary said any -discussion on that topic is "extremely premature". In a telephone interview Monday evening, Mrs. Weary said the two sides would take a "breathing space" for a couple of weeks and resume talks then. She explained both sides have been involved in negotiations since last January and the feeling is both sides want some tune before continuing talks. In the past four years, both sides have been involv- ed in a strike, arbitration, mediation and fat finding. This is the fourth fact finder's report for Huron sec- ondary school teachers. A fact finder's report is a list of recommendations for both sides, but carries no ac- tual weight. Trustee John Elliott, chairman of personnel com- mittee, said at a press conference Monday afternoon, talks would continue in mediation until the contract is settled. It is the board's opinion, Trustee Elliott said, the fact finder's recommendations ate a "reasonable compromise for the parties". The major issue of disagreement is salaries. Using maximum salaries, fact finder Anne Barrett, ap- pointed by the Education Relations Commission, recommended $36,180 while the board has offered $36,200. For comparison purposes, Huron uses the salaries of surrounding counties of Bruce, Middlesex, Perth and Lambton. OSSTF's last request for a teacher's maximum salary is $37,200, and have rejected the .board's offer. Mrs. Weary maintains the provincial average should be used, as most of the surrounding boards are in se- cond and third years of a collective agreement. She said the,)ovincial„avnitre ore re c because of tlie"%igher number-o"i�5bba s""and:Erre in'cote. first year of their agreements. The fact finder's report states, "the average max- imum salary for the highest paid teachers is $36,581." This figure is based on 45 out of 76 boards in Ontario having reached a settlement for 1981-82. Other areas which remain in dispute include a staf- fing formula and working conditions. As of Sept. 30 of this year, the pupil -teacher ratio in Huron was 16.46 to 1, while the provincial average last year was 16.8 to 1. The fact -finder's report states, "teachers have a staffing formula and working conditions better than 80 percent of 10 comparable boards and better than the provincial average as well". The teachers propose four ways to improve the situation which would require immediately hiring three additional teachers. The board's position is more than three teachers would have to be hired. Ms. Barrett states changes which further reduce pupil - teacher ratios should not be made, but a review of the staffing formula should be made. Turn to page 3 • Doctor's office is target for thief BY JOANNE BUCHANAN Goderich police are investigating a break-in which took place at a doctor's office in town early Sunday morning. Needles and syringes were stolen. Three bicycles and a trail bike were also stolen over the weekend. The trail bike was later recovered near the sewage treatment plant. A careless driving charge was laid by police following an accident early Saturday morning at the corner of Victoria and Nelson Streets. One vehicle was involved and a street light was knocked over. There were two incidents of wilful damage to cars on the weekend. One car was scratched and the other had its heater hoses cut. Police arrested a drunk man who was causing a problem at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital over the weekend. In total, police laid three highway traffic act charges, five liquor charges and one by - 4, law charge. Two assault causing bodily harm charges and one charge of pointing a fire arm were laid stemming from an incident which occurred two° weeks ago. Police will also be laying a charge against a juvenile for making false calls to the fire and police departments and a mbulance service. The Goderich detachment of the O.P.P. is in- vestigating three vehicle .thefts, two of them being half -ton trucks from the Lavis construction gravel pit in Goderich Township; From November 9 to 16, the O.P.P. report six thefts; three break and enters; five mischief in- cidents; three impaired driving charges; five liquor charges; two; trespassing charges and 16 motor vehicle accidents, three of them involving minor injuries. The largest theft was $500 taken from a house in Colborne Township. &ssociation turns over $3,000 bond to council Representatives of the Goderich Trotting Association presented council a copy of a $3,000 bond Monday, as their share of a bill for electrical work at the racetrack. Last week, the finance committee had recom- mended to council that a user fee of $450 per night be levied against the Trotting Association if they failed to comply with a motion of council requesting the $3,000 payment. Association member. Bob Daer, appeared before council Monday and in making the bond presentation, said the group had made the decision prior to the council meeting at which the user fee was suggested. The bond is the group's share of payment of a bill for electrical work at the racetrack in the amount of $7,700 and not $10,000 as reported last week. In his submission to council, Mr, Daer said the organization was composed of responsible members who took the initiative to relinquish the $3,000 bond to council while the Association was under no legal obligation. He added that both sides made mistakes in handling the matter. "Mistakes were made on both sides and while we were referred to as a fly by night organization, we have responsible members," he said. "We were not legally bound to submit the money but the association voted to submit the bond." Councillor Elsa Haydon agreed with Daer that mistakes were made by both sides in the money dispute adding that she "hoped we have learned something from this." Councillor Stan Profit said it was evident the Goderich Trotting Association 'was a "viable operation" and reiterated Haydon's claim that mistakes were made by both groups in handling the matter. After thanking the representatives of the association for the payment, councillor Jim Searis explained that the $3,000 represented the taxes of three citizens. "It is our duty as council to follow through on such matters." merican vessel on to:ur here This week the Pori of Goderich will be visited by an American icebreaker on a goodwill tour. The Biscayne Bay, a 140 -foot United States ice breaker, is scheduled to dock in Snug Harbor Wed- nesday at 4 p.m. as part of the ship's goodwill tour. The 17 crew members and three officers aboard the American ship are wider the direction of Lieutenant Robert Heins Jr. Following an overnight stay in Goderich, the ice breaker will leave harbor at noon Thursday and continue its tour. The general public is free to tour the American vessel but the hours of the open house were not known at press tiine. Family pets shot near home A Colborne Township woman believes that in- sensitive hunters are responsible for the death' of two family pets in the past six months. Mrs. Pat Steenstra of R.R.5 Goderich said that two family pets, a Labrador and a Golden Retriever, have limped back to the family home near Loyal Corner on County Road35, suffering from gunshot wounds. Both dogs subsequently died. In the spring, Mrs. Steenstra said the Golden Retriever limped home suffering from a wound in- flicted with a high power rifle. The second family dog was recently shot in the chest and died shortly after reaching home. Several hunters have been in the area recently and Mrs. Steenstra said the dogs had not been bothering livestock on neighbouring farms. Both the police and Ministry of Natural Resources have been contacted about the incidents. "The police have it on record but no other such incidents have been reported," she said. "There are all kinds of hunters out so there must be others." While the Steenstras have lost two treasured family pets, there is little police can do about the situation. "The police can't do much but there is no sense in it at all," she said. "There is nobody around and it must have been hunters. But I know not all of them would shoot dogs." Board opposes group billing DUBLIN - Huron -Perth County' Separate School Boardis opposed -to possible change in group -billing from Union GasLimited. A change in group billing procedures would cost the board an additional $2,064 per year. Presently' seven more schools will be added as they have recently con- verted to natural gas,heating: The Ontario Energy Board has requested Union Gas to eliminate or severely restrict group billing. This type of billing allows discounts to customers us- ing Union Gas' services such as school boards and municipalities. A. spokesman for the energy board said group bill- ing is considered to be "unduly discriminatory" because rates do not reflect usage of gas. It is expected the Ontario School Trustees' Council will make representation for school boards in Ontario at hearings to be held possibly in January. In other business, the board will obtain legal advice from. barrister, Ray Waller of Stratford to decide what action should be taken to home owners en- croaching on board property. The. 11 acres of vacant land in question is located off Greenwood Drive in Stratford. Presently there is fen- cing and a tool shed notoplaced by the board, on the property. The owners of adjacent land have not been approached by boardrepresentatives. INSIDE THE SIGNAL -STAR Kiddies let loose Several Goderich kiddies are set loose in the gym on Saturday mornings to discover somersaulting, pasting and glueing with Karen Willis. See the photo feature on the front of the Recreation section. Sailors lose two The hapless Sailors live amassed only one win thus far in Intermediate C hockey action. On the weekend they dropped games to Wingham and Southampton. Seepage 1A. A real close shave There are a lot of smiling, clean-shaven faces at Maitland Manor these days thanks to volunteer Dave Mune and his electric razor, See Joanne RuchAnan's feature on page 12A.