HICKSON TERRY FOX SCHOOL RUN
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ONTARIO QUEEN OF THE FURROW
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Serving Tavistock and area since 1895 VOLUME 123 • NUMBER 5
MAIN STREET A QUICK LOOK AT OUR TOWN!
THIS ‘N’ THAT It was a cold and rainy weekend - many of the leaves have fallen - last year there was an abundance of black walnuts, this year very few - is this an indication of what our winter will be like? … the Poppy Campaign began last Friday, October 26th and runs until Sunday, November 11th please wear a poppy and remember those who sacrificed for us Remembrance activities scheduled - see ad page 4 … Daylight Savings Time ends this coming Sunday, November 4th at 2 a.m. - clocks fall back one hour.
TAVISTOCK, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2018
PUBLIC WORKS
BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES Karly Kalbfleisch is 5 today October 31st; Jordan Bartlett, 15; Judd Walker, 18; birthdays also for Susan Rozendal; Ashley Wagner … on November 1st Miriam Stock - Bateman is 5; Natalie Rhodes, 15; Ethan Brodrecht, 19 … Isaac Brenneman is 6 November 2nd; Gracie Neumeister, 6; Madelyn McCabe, 20; a birthday for Deanne Gladding … on November 3rd Cassie Brenneman is 6; Simon Keller, 11; Jack Beauvais, 11; Cassandra Zehr, 18; a birthday for Cindy Herold … Lauren McKay is 3 years old November 5th; Calleigh Bontaine, 11; Drew Brenneman, 15; a birthday for John Bender. Congratulations to all!.
ELECTION CORRECTION Last week’s report for the two elected officials for the Thames Valley District School Board for Oxford County was incorrect. The trustees are Bill McKinnon and Barb Yeoman.
TURN YOUR CLOCKS BACK ONE HOUR! SUNDAY @ 2 A.M.
1.19¢+.06 HST = $1.25
BILL GLADDING / TAVISTOCK GAZETTE
Tom Lightfoot, Manager of Public Works for East Zorra-Tavistock and a volunteer firefighter with the Hickson Station.
O
ver the past five years with the Township of East Zorra-Tavistock Public Works Department, Manager Tom Lightfoot has risen from equipment operator to foreman and on to Public Works Manager. “I’ve been lucky,” he said about his journey to one of the Township’s top jobs. “It was very quick, due to retirements,” he added. Employees who were with the Township for 30 plus years were retiring and things just seemed to work out. Tom said he believes you need to earn your way up through the ranks, so “it was hard for me,” he admitted. “I went to the crew to ask,” Tom said, before he applied for the promotions along the way, “and they were good with it,” he stated. Tom began with the Township in August of 2013, replacing Dennis Holst who was retiring. After only eight months, when foreman Darrell Ford announced his retirement, Tom stepped up. Then, after two years as foreman, Director of Public Works Dennis O’Neil retired and Tom applied for the position. Although there have been a multitude of courses and training programs, seminars, and conferences, Tom is always learning. From maintenance, construction, concrete, asphalt and
bridge engineering to tile drainage and pipe as well as leadership programs, Tom has had his hands full. His dedication paid off this year when he was able to accumulate all his Ontario Good Roads Association, and Association of Ontario Road Supervisors courses to achieve the designation of Certified Roads Supervisor (CRS). Even though Tom may have been thrust into the position, his previous work experience equipped him with the tools to do the job well. Born in Dashwood, the youngest of four sons of Bryan and Linda Lightfoot, Tom grew up on a farm property just north of Hickson. His dad was a meat cutter working at local stores and abattoirs. The family all still live in the Hickson area. Elder brothers Greg (Candy) and Gord (Danielle) live in Hickson while Ron (Lisa) are on the farm just next to where they grew up. Parents Bryan and Linda now live at Braemar Valley. Tom attended Hickson Public School and Huron Park Secondary School in Woodstock where he studied business and automotive trades. He started working for Oxford Dead Stock Ltd. at their rendering plant west of Hickson where
he held a multitude of jobs. He worked there along with his father and brother Gord. He began by butchering and boxing meat for the pet food industry and moved up to supervising and coordinating their warehouse and shipping operations. He earned his DZ licence and gained driving experience as well. “It was a great place to work,” Tom said. He enjoyed the job and stayed for 20 years, completing his employment there with the new owners, Rothsay. Tom had joined his brother, Ron, on the East Zorra-Tavistock Fire Department at the Hickson Station in May of 2003. Their father
Combining his driving, scheduling and supervisory skills was a perfect fit when the Township was looking to hire for the roads department. When Tom joined the staff, Dennis O’Neil was Director of Public Works and others included foreman Darrell Ford, Jeff Rudy, Mike Kaufman and Don Munro. Now, under Tom’s leadership, Rod Ramseyer is foreman and employees include Jeff Rudy, Sean Bowker, Dave Howe, Stephanie Zasucha and Mark Ropp. Right now, he said, they are grading the gravel roads and cleaning up the wood alongside the roads, leftover from the tree cutting tender. About
“Learning roads was new, but I’ve been fortunate to work with a great crew!” – Tom Lightfoot
had been a volunteer firefighter in Dashwood and passed on that desire for community service. Being on call with the fire department, “It’s a total lifestyle change, but my kids don’t know any other,” he said. “It becomes what you are. Some days are tougher than others. I knew I’d see things … but you do the best you can and hope for good results.”
120 trees were cut down this past season and adjacent landowners are encouraged to gather the wood. If anything remains, the road crew needs to take it away before the snow flies. Hitting frozen chunks of wood has been known to cause snowplow wing blades to break off. The crews also string trim along guard rails and bridges before winter as
the long grass can cause drifting on the roadway. Reconstructing the Maplewood Sideroad has been an ongoing project since Tom took over the department. They have been digging out and rebuilding the road, lowering one of the hills four feet, and redesigning a curve between the 17th and18th lines. This is all in preparation for paving that stretch of roadway next year. Switching stop signs at the 17th and 18th lines were also part of the process. Firstly, a 4-way stop had to be installed for several weeks before the traffic can be switched. The Ontario Traffic Manual dictates signage change procedures for these intersections. Road maintenance standards are based on average daily traffic counts. The reconstruction of Woodstock Street South in Tavistock was another major project that was put on Tom’s plate after taking the Public Works job. He credits former CAO Jeff Carswell with spearheading the project, coordinating the Township, the County and the Utility to get the work done. It started as a small project and it took just over two years to complete the total redesign of the uptown business area. “I was pleased,” with the results, he said. Tom and his wife Candace met through mutual friends and were married at Craigowan Golf Club on April 25, 1998. Candace is a controller with an automotive company in Kitchener. For nineteen years they lived in a house seven doors from the fire hall until a year and a half ago when they moved to their rural residence on the 10th line, west of Hickson. The couple has two children, Nick, 15, and Abby, 12. Nick is in the Grade 10 tech program at Huron Park while Abby attends Algonquin Public School in Woodstock. “I was raised in the country. I like it,” Tom stated. Wearing two hats, one for the Roads Department and the other for the fire department is a real challenge. “But I like to keep busy,” Tom said. “Learning roads was new, but I’ve been fortunate to work with a great crew,” he added. “There’s a lot of wisdom here … it’s a good mix.”