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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-08-12, Page 1rich Theft of bikes concerns police 139 YEAR • 32 GODERICH, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1987 60 CENTS PER COPY Premier visits to boost Jack Riddell BY PATRICK RAFTIS Plenty of high-profile Li=berals, including Ontario Premier David Peterson, were on hand to help incumbent MPP Jack Riddell, minister of agriculture, kick off his cam- paign for the September 10 provincial elec- tion, last Wednesday. Also attending the annual barbecue at Riddell's Exeter area harm on Aug. 5 were Huron -Bruce MPP and Provincial Health Minister Murray Elston, Senior Citizens Affairs Minister Ron Van Horne, Minister of Transportation and Communications Ed Fulton and Gordon Miller, Riddell's parliamentary assistant. About 1,200 people attended the party fund-raising barbecue, the fourth annual such event Riddell has hosted. Peterson, who arrived with his wife Shelley and their two children in two buses carrying a large campaign entourage, em- phasized Riddell's effectiveness as a ' cabinet minister in the present Liberal minority government and his committ- ment to his own riding. "In addition to agriculture, Jackis very, very concerned about Huron County," Peterson said, noting that the provincial agriculture budget has gone up 72 per cent in the past two years. "That's a very significant increase and it demonstrates our committment to the family farm, to the continued viablity of farming in Ontario," he added, giving Rid- dell much of the credit for the increased agriculture spending. "Jack shouts so loud in cabinet meetings, it's just easier to write him a cheque than to listen to him," the premier quipped. Peterson also said the Liberals "want to build an educaton system second to none," in Ontario and stated that environmental concerns are also high on the party's priority list. "We want to create an environment with clean water and clean air in the future and not pass on our problems to our children." Riddell pointed to the increased alloca- tions to agriculture in recent budgets and said his aim is to "help Ontario farmers compete with farmers in other countries". Thefts of bicycles in the Town of Goderich totaled 38 for the month of July alone, reports Goderich Police Chief Patrick King. King said local police deal with about a half-dozen bicycle thefts each week. Most thefts would be prevented, he said, if owners "took two minutes to lock their bike to a post." Police recover about 75 per cent of stolen bicycles, most of which are taken by people who simply ride them to a destination and leave them there, although some, he said, are kept by the thieves. Thefts from cars are also common, said King. Again, in most cases, the vehicles are unlocked. • "I don't know why Aeople don't lock their cars, because statistics show they are seldom broken into." King also recommends people mark their property, especially often stolen items like cassette tapes, with their names so they can be identified if recovered. Town granted $15,000 study 'Drumming up some support "I could go on and on and tell you all the good things this government has done for seniors, for the disabled," said .Riddell, pointing out the minority government has made important initiatives in many areas. Peterson also 'praised Elston for his health care initiatives since becoming health minister, including the anti-extra- billin: le: islation which s ' arked ' rotest • PC Nico Peters slams Liberal highway plans "It is a chicken or the egg question, said Progressive Conservative candidate for Huron, Nico Peters. He explains the pro- vincial government won't repair area roads because there is no industry and yet to attract new industry there must be ade- quate tranportation facilities. Peters, a Tuckersmith Township farmer, calls the government's five-year plan to patch Highway 4 north of Blyth "a slap in the face" and said it treats residents of those areas like second-class citizens. According to Peters, grant money is available for municipal roads if they meet certain building specifications. "If Highway 4` was a municipal road it would be repaired tomorrow," he said. Highway planners are aware of the pro- blem, but somewhere along the line the provincial government must step in, because two big trucks cannot pass safely on the highway. "What are the issues in this election and why is the government spending $50 millon on an election?" asks Peters. He feels the Liberals are insulting the people by calling a summer election. For four years the government makes the decision but when people vote it is their decision and it should be at their convenience, and their timing, Ontario Premier David Peterson (on drums) put on a straw hat and joined the Goderich No Notes Jug Band for a jam session at Huron -Middlesex MPP Jack Rid - dell's annual barbecue, held at Riddell's Exeter area farm, Aug. 5. At left, is No Notes' Mark Sully, of Goderich. The band's choice of song "This Land is Your Land," (photo by Patrick Raftis) from Ontario medical professionals last year, and promised continued attention to health care and the disabled in the future. "Independant living. is the goal for all our people," he said. Present member for Huron -Middlesex Riddell is contesting his sixth election. He was first elected m a by-electon in March, Murray Cardiff, MP for Huron -Bruce, announced recently, on behalf of Transport Minister John Crosbie, that the federal government will -contribute $15,000 to the Town of Goderich towards an environmental study at Goderich Airport. "The study will evaluate the possible environmental effects which could result from the construction of a new runway at the airport," Cardiff said. The funds are being made available from Transport Canada's financial assistance program for local and local commercial airports. All -candidates meeting set up HULLETT TWP. - At a recent executive meeting of the Huron County Federr..4o,i of Agriculture, itwas decided to host an all candidates meeting from the upcoming provincial election. This will take place on August 24 at 8 p.m. at Hullett Central School in Londesboro. The panel will consist of Jack Riddell, the Liberal candidate; Nico Peters, Pro- gressive Conservative candidate and Paul Klopp, New Democrative Party candidate. 1973. He predicts that leadership and free trade will be major issues in the upcoming election. • Locally, Riddell feels that improving im- proving the industrial economy, outside the already strong agriculture sector, is among the most important concerns in this riding. Town of Goderich receives $175,000 grant from PRIDE The Town of Goderich has received a $175,000 grant from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs' Program for Renewal, Improvement, Development and Economic Revitalization (PRIDE).. The grant, part of $4.8 million in PRIDE funds awarded to 25 municipalities in Southwestern Ontario, was announced Ju- ly 30, by Provincial Municipal Affairs Minister Bernard Grandmaitre. Across Ontario, PRIDE allocations of $15.6 million have been announced for 1987. The Pride program provides assistance for projects in older residential and com- mercial areas and was recently expanded to include community renewal projects in all older sections of a municipality in- cluding industrial and mix -ed -use areas. Goderich Public Works Commissioner Ken Hunter said the town applied for the grant on behalf of the local Business Im- provement Area Board, who are planning to use the money for downtown renewal in Goderich. To be eligible for the funds, the municipality must match the PRIDE SIGN E TH E L S1. grant with a corresponding sum. The Town of Goderich and the BIA will be splitting the municipality's share of the project, Hunter said. Proposed uses for the funds include "im- provement of the streetscape," on Hamil- tion Street, by putting in new Sidewalks and curbs and removing some of the hydro poles, said Hunter. The project is aimed at "improving the gateway to The Square," he added. Other possible uses of the money are creating new parking lots in the downtown area and some 'Soft services (parks, recreational facilities, etc.) Before any projects are finalized, Hunter said, indepth cost studies will have to be done and public meetings with area residents will have to be held. These things will occur over the coming winter, he said, and work will be done over a three-year period beginning in 1988. Other Huron County municipalities receiving PRIDE grants in 1987 are Grand Bend ($90,000) and Seaforth ($130,000). Nico Peters Peters said he does not want to peak too soon in the campaign. He wants to build support gradually and push hard in a door - Turn to uEe2 Agricultural finance key to. NDP Klopp's platform BY YVETTE ZANDBERGEN Paul Klopp, NDP candidate for Huron county, shows concern about many issues with agriculture finance being one he plans to discuss. Klopp, 30, was born in Clinton and gain- ed his education at Zurich Public School, South Huron District Secondary School and Centralia College, Agricultural Business Management, 1977. He is a farmer with a fifth generation family farm in Hay Township. Klopp is also with the Huron County Federation of Agriculture, Zurich Fair Board and Regional Director of. Ontario Federation of Agriculture. He has a wife, Heather and a 20 month old son, Timothy. Currently, Klopp is President of the Huron County Federation Of Agriculture but is on leave of absence for his cam- paign. He was also the 1985 NDP candidate in Huron -Middlesex. Klopp is going to be discussing the area of agricultural finance, stressing the revival of the Province of Ontario Savings Bank, first created when the General Farmers Organization held power. Kloppbelieves the Savings Bank would serve farmers better than the existing Farm Credit Corporation (FCC). . The FCC, he says, was set up to assist farmers financially but in the long term, "became a joke". Paul Klopp The Savings Bank would act as a credit union but would not charge for additional services or penalize customers with fines when credit IS overdrawn. Turn to page 2 Awareness Day for the disabled BY YVETTE ZANDBERGEN AND LOU -ANN HOPE Goderich's Awareness of Social Agen- cies Day for the physically disabled saw eight Goderich "dignitaries" and eight assistants partake in an hour of being physically disabled one day last week. The focus of Thursday's program, held at the Goderich Legion, was on the needs of the physically disabled regarding ac- cessibility and local buildings. Invited "dignitaries" took on various physical disabilities, which included being blind, using wheelchairs, quadriplegic canes, and crutches, and were asked to ac- complish a given task. While local "dignitaries" included representatives of various social agencies, as well as the Signal -Star, Goderich Town Council and Huron County Council failed to send representatives. While public turnout and participation by other "dignitaries" was good, the absence of the town and county represen- tatives was noticed. "In Clinton we made an impact since the mayor and reeve were present. They realized the problems and said something would be done," Rosemary Armstrong, member of the organizing committee and co-ordinator of the Huron Day Centre for the Homebound, said. "I'm disappointed in the lack of par- ticipation by the Town of Goderich and the county," she added, explaining letters were sent out well in advance asking for their participation. Some people failed to respond while others responded positively then just did not show up. "We're preaching to the converted. The people who participated did a good job. We're 'getting a lot out of it because we're. here. I'd like to see more public participa- tion but you can't make people come. The trouble is nobody thinks of disabilities until they are actually disabled," Armstrong said. Although the committee hoped to make the town and county more aware of local problems encountered by disabled per- sons, this was not accomplished since representatives of either council were not present. However, those who did attend the day -long event were able to obtain in- formation through a variety of displays as well as actively participating in a pre- determined task. The program opened with comments from Geri Babcock, herself a quadriplegic. Babcock is Community Ser- vices Manager for the Ontario March of Dimes in Owen Sound. It was 10 years ago, while finishing her third year at the University of Western On- tario, that Babcock became a quadriplegic. She was on her way to a teaching position in Manitoba and was making wedding plans when the accident which would change her life occurred. On June 26, 1977 her spinal was severed dur- ing a single vehicle accident, leaving her a quadriplegic. She lost the use of her legs and has limited use in her arms and hands. Each day she encounters barriers rang- ing from a six inch step she has to get over to get into a store to a street curb. She has been with the March of Dimes for five years. Babcock told participants to look at bar- riers they will encounter on their tasks, "They are real barriers to 12 per cent of the population," she said. "Remember your experience only lasts an hour and a Turn topage8 • `Circle the Square' The Signal -Star sent a representative to participate in the recent Awareness of Social Agencies for the Physically Disabled Day. Local "dignitaries" were invited to participate in the event by undertaking a . pre -determined task which a disabled person faces almost daily. For the Signal-Sthr's personal report and pictures, see the front page of the Community section. Sisters reunited Five sisters who have not been together in the past 30 years were reunited in Goderich recently when three of the sisters came to Canada for a three week visit with their sisters and their families. For story and picture, see Page 2 of the Community section. Sports stories In sports, men's slow pitch playoffs have begun in Goderich recently and the peewee fastball team reaches the finals of OSBA. For these stories and more, see the Sports section.