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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1982-09-15, Page 1:ASV, ••••••• . the Go erich ••• 0 • • utgatMamf,g,4^01f.WAM2crimgrom.....,...,..,....r NIMMENNI 134 YEAR -37 114404" •A.4 GODERICH, ONTARIO. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1982 • • -.0•,!..,Y • . 4.,,o•a$1";, Don't count summer out yet. After one of the worst summers in recent memory, the warm spell we're experiencing is a welcome relief and it has helped to extend summer activities into September. While it • „tz,t,--•-- 50 CENTS PER COPY anastra'gite eyed for museum If two studies on the former radar school at Vanastra are acceptable to Huron County Council it may purchase the building for $75,000. At a special meeting on September 8, council went into committee -of -the -whole for over an I` hour to discuss what Warden Haro14Robinson calPsd a.."con- troversial matter". In the open session follOWing the in -committee meeting, council approved having both a structural engineering study and an operational cost study com- pleted. The property and development committees, uniting on the subject of the building, will proceed with having the studies done. Warden Robinson said the topic is controversial because some committee members want a study done on the feasibility of operating the county u.s."4—"L' m einn out of the building. The two committees will , • be reporting back to council at its regular meeting on ."4•" "gA' "mw.4 September 30. Thee.0 _Wiled, eke Tetke.rsmith.... 7Township for two years. The township bought the pro- pertyat a tax sale, and as of December 31 of this year the amount of taxes and interest outstanding to the township will be $186,810.24. A preliminary study by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing indicates it could cost $932;000 to restore the building tc its original condition. In a breakdown of the study, roding.at $200,000 and floor- ing. at $236,000 are the most expensive repairs re- quired. . Besides being a building where museum artifacts could be properly displayed, the total floor area is 155,000 square feet and .the museum could use about 10000 *square feet, Warden' Robinson said :other . • businesses could locate in the building. . seems the warm weather always arrives in time for school, these two young ladies enjoyed the warm weather on a Lake Huron beach. (photo by Dave Sykes) Cut public relations costs councillor Jim Searls says. Money spent on public relations on behalf of the town should be cancelled Jim Searls told council Monday. In speaking to the monthly accounts Searls said that too much of the taxpayer's money was being used for public relations purposes. He said the prac- tice should be cancelled in view of the state of the economy. "You go through the accounts and find $1,110 or ,200 in pthlic relations and look at the way the economy is," he said. "We should cut down on free meals and cntertainment. Surely it's not a ritual." He added that it was ridiculous to spend money on the town's .annual reception for members of Huron 'County council, scheduled for September .$0, . when county council was considering moving the Huron County Pioneer Museum to Vanastra. Councillor Elsa Haydon argued that Searls agreed to such spending by supporting the town's budget. "He wants it both ways. The items are in the budget and he agrees with the budget," she said. "You can't have it both ways. We must propose a policy and stick to it." Councillor Stan Profit said he was worried about the costs of certain items in the budget and suggested the next council would have to take a closer look at spending in the 1983 budget. Goderich town council expressed great concern at the prospect of the county moving the museum to new quarters in Vanastra. Reeve Don Wheeler, a member of county council, said he was "taken aback" by the proposal. "We have to have concerns," he said. "There is no study to indicate the present quarters are inadequate. Museums are for the .public but if it. is moved to Vanastra, the building will just be used for housing art ha ctS. " Wheeler said both he and deputy -reeve Bob Allen would continue to press for rational decisions at county council on behalf of the town. Councillor Elsa ilaydon said she was disappointed with the town's representation at the county level, claiming her disappointment was due to the "county system" and not the town's two representatives on council. "Are public matters dismissed verbally behind, closed doors?" she aslied. --Town:vouncil should stand together, councllltir Stan' 'Profit said, and request a meeting with the county property committee: . "We must find out what the score is," he said. "Council should at least take steps to meet with them." • The Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC) will not let the museum issue pass without a fight, promised chairman Glen Carey indicating the group will make its views known. "LACAC won't rell over and play dead," he said. " We'll be looking at the Museum building: closely." Many of the museum artifacts have been donated by local residentsand Jahn Doherey told -council -the donors would likely express some concern if the . location was moved to Vanastra. Council promises to get aggressive on vacant store Goderich town council intends toget aggressive if the owners of the People's Store on The Square.fail to intitiate constructive .plans for the vacant building. • At its regular meeting Monday, council entertained three letters concerning the vacant building, Two letters were received from businessmen and a third from the Goderich Business Improvement. Area Board, urging council .to take some action ender the property standards bylaw or to at least consider decorative or cosmetic changes to thefront of the building. • The. authors suggested 'that the store was in deplorable condition and was an eyesore in com- parison to the thriving business ventures on The Square. In response to the letters, councillor Glen Carey suggested it was time council stood behind the businessmen and initiated action to correct the problem. "They should be put on notice that we intend to take aggressive action," he said. "The businessmen have There has been a great deal of construction this summer on streets radiating from The Square as the town and BIA (Business Improvement Area) continues its sidwalk reconstruction program. Work is progressing 'on Kingston Street and the above photo shows construction taking shape on West Street. Curbing is already complete and work will proceed with ,new interlocking brick sidewalks. ( photo by DaveSelkes) MON•01,40helltitWOMI expressed concerns arid they are valid concerns. It's time we backed them." Council should take immediate action on the problem councillor Jim Seeds said adding that the matter could be 'dealt with under the town's property standards bylaw. • In a report to council, commissioner of works Ken Hunter. said he met with company representatives on September 9 and Peoples Stores district supervisor, Mike Coates, of Montreal indicated the company was: examining the feasibility of :renovating the existing structure or building a newstore. Follciwing a tour of the site with a Montreal ar- chitect, Coates said it was the company's intention to open a new store onlhe location in a new or renovated building. Company architect, Mr. Bernstein, said he would contact the town building department within two weeks of the September 9 meeting, to inform officials of his findings. The BIA has approached the company, through correspondence, regarding frontal improvements to the vacant building but in a letter to council, BIA chairman Peter McCauley said those efforts have not been successful. The association has now turned its concerns over to council and council will contact the company expressing its concerns and commitment to action. Parents needed for new committee BY STEPHANIE LEVESQUE The Huron County Board of Education is looking for four parents of students attending Victoria Public School, Goderich to serve on a committee in- vestigating the possibility of adding grades seven and eight at the school. Chairman Dorothy Wallace and Trustee Jean Adams both of Goderich were named as trustee representatives to the committee at the board's Sept. 7 meeting M Clinton. . Establishment ef .t.40, committee is the board's response to a delegation of parents at a Sune 14 education committee meeting requesting grades seven and eight at the school. Victoria school now has classes from kindergarten to grade six. Students in grades seven and eight at- tend Robertson Memorial Public School. The board debatedon how to pick four parents to sit on the committee and after tossing out ideas such as consulting the Victoria school principal or having the group of parents pick out four among themselves, it was decided to advertise for the parents. Director of education John Cochrane \ -pointed out parents from Robertson Memorial should also be heard. Mrs. Adams concurred and added that adver- tising would bring out interested parents. Some trustees questioned who would pick the four from names submitted as a result of the advertising. It was decided the board would pick the four. "I'm not worried, we'll be lucky if we get four," said Mrs. Adams. Terry Fox Run set for Sunday Den't forget the run whigh will be held here this Sunday in conjunction with the Terry Fox Run for The Marathon of Hope all across Canada The 10 km run in Goderich is being sponsored by the Kinette Club. Registration is from 10 aerneto 2 p.m. at Suncoast Mall. Pledge sheets are available before the run at Beckers, Zehrs, Mac's Milk, local schools or by phoning Carol Davidson at 524-4194. If you would rather not get pledges., you can simply makea $5 donation to enter the run. The run is open to all age,s. And it is not necessarily a run. You can walk, jogeride your bicycle. Go as far as you can. Take your time. Participation is what The Marathon of Hope Is all about to keep Terry Fox's dream of finding a cure for cancer alive. Block Parents to hold first meeting A Block Parent program will be underway in Goderich by 'October and a kick-off information meeting with a slide presentation and guest speakers will be held at Victoria Public School (use new south door) on Monday, September 27 at 7:30 p.m. The Block Parent concept is very simple, efficient and essential to the welfare of every neighbourhood. In the most fundamental terms, a block parent is any responsible adult (age 16 years and over) who cares enough about the well being of children and other persons to volunteer his or her home as a safe refuge when a need arises. An easy -to -identify graphic sign in the window lets children in distress know that a block parent is home to provide a haven. And when there is no cause for concern, the sign can act as a deterrent to potential offenders who can quickly conclude that the neighbourhood has its own safety support system. If you would like to be a block parent, application forms are available at the police station. After you fill out a form, you will be screened by the police department. Once you become a block parent, it will not mean a change in your lifestyle. If , you are unavailable for any reason, you just remove the sign from your window. Block parents are not expected to provide food or beverage, toilet facilities, transportation, administer first aid or actively engage any dangerous peso* All that is required is for the parents or- proper authorities to be contacted. • -Children-usethehlock-pareilthomewhenalarmedee.: by strangers or vicious aninials; when he, she or a playmate is involved in an accident; when ill; when lost or when being bullied. The worst situation most block parents will ever have to contend with is a frightened child. A Block Parent program was in operation in Goderich several years ago but was abandoned after . the organizer moved away. 4oy McKee and Lori Biggin are now trying to revives the program. They ' have found thatthere is keen interest from the public, having processed 50 applications from interested volunteers so far. For further information, contact - Mrs. McKea t -5244983 -or Miss Diggs •at -524-27G9 or 8334 its electiontime The municipal election machine is slowly rolling into gear. Administrator Tarry McCabe reminded council at its regular meeting Monday that municipal elections would be held on Monday,' November 8. Anyone seeking election to town council, the Huron County Board of Education or the Public Utilities Com- mission must file nomination ,papers with the ad- ministrator from October 14 to 18. ) The advance poll is scheduled for October 30, one week before the municipal election. .New legislation introduced this year calls for all elected municipal officials' to serve a three-year term beginning December 1, 1982 and ending in October 1985. INSIDE THE SIGNAL -STAR New sports season -The Tesumption of the school year also• means that. many GDCI athletic teams will be preparing for Huron -Perth league play. The junior and senior football teams kick off the season with exhibition games in Sarnia this Friday and the senior girls' basketball team Will host its annual tournament here Saturday, with two of the' province's top teams . competing, Details can .be found on the Recreation • age. Legion week here Next week is Legion Week and Branch 109 has speciAl plans in store to celebrate. The festivities begin Sunday with a special commemorative service and levee at the Legion. Open house will be held Thursday and Saturday the branch plans a loan -burning ceremony. Details appear in a story on Page 12A. . e • S