Wednesday, September 20, 2006 · Page 3 Starting point of house fire atypical, chief says BY FREE PRESS STAFF Essex police and fire department personnel are investigating a fire Sept. 13 at 139 Talbot St. North. Members of Essex Fire and Rescue were called to the scene at 11:41 p.m. and found the vacant house in flames. Chief Ed Pillon said the house was not completely destroyed by the fire. "It wasn't completely amaged by the fire," illon said. "It is my undertanding that the house was lated for demolition hough." The fire is being investiated, a routine procedure, lthough Pillon said some of the events of the fire are atypical. The chief said burn patterns indicate the fire likely started in the exterior of the home. He said there was no obvious indication of accelerants. "There is an obvious burn pattern at the rear of the home," the chief said. "It appears as if the fire started there. Typically, house fires start in the interior and move out." Pillon said Rick DiGioia, the owner of Super Quality Cleaners in Essex, owns the home. He said the police investigation has included a conversation with DiGioia. A determination of the cause of the fire will be made next week. For All Your Financial & Insurance Needs... See Us Today! Gesto United Church TURKEY SUPPER THURS., SEPT. 28 4:30 - ? Adults $12 Children 5-10 $5.00 Under 5 - Free TH Take outs Available! DPM INSURANCE GROUP Phone: (519) 776-6457 TRAVEL WITH CONFIDENCE WWW,FORSYTHTRAVEL.COM 29 Talbot Street North, Essex, Ontario Police tape surrounds the back of a house damaged by a fire Sept. 13 at 139 Talbot St. North. An investigation is ongoing. Fire officials said the blaze likely started behind the home. Recycling study ranks Windsor-Essex last BY DANIEL SCHWAB Essex County's poor recycling habits have some members of the EssexWindsor Solid Waste Authority board calling for a long-term plan to improve rates. "I think we've done a poor job with our education program," said Tecumseh Deputy Mayor Tom Burton Sept. 13. "I think people are confused with what goes in a Blue Box." Last year, the area became one of seven municipalities in the province selected for study under Stewardship Ontario's Audit Program. One hundred households throughout Essex-Windsor were randomly selected to gauge the recycling practices of local residents. Of the seven municipalities, the area ranked last in successfully placing printed paper, plastics and glass into recycle boxes instead of trash bins. "I don't think there's a lot of surprise in those numbers," said Leamington Deputy Mayor Rob Schmidt. "We, as a whole, have not done a good job of increasing our rates. Unless we take some serious steps as a group, we're not going to get a great change." Schmidt called participation rates in the area "great," as the number of people who recycle is on the rise from about 70 to 80 percent. He says the problem is that people are not composting or putting acceptable materials into the recycle box. Leamington's four garbage bag-per-household limit should serve as a model across WindsorEssex, Schmidt said. Windsor Ward 1 Councillor Joyce Zuk said when the new board is created following the Nov. 13 municipal election one of its first considerations should be "continuity across the region." But for EWSWA General Manager Todd Pepper, a study of 100 local households is not necessarily an accurate reflection of the recycling practices in the region. In a written memo to the board, Pepper pointed out, "... a sample size of 100 households, out of the total number of over 158,000 households served by the authority's recycling program, would not normally be considered statistically significant." Established in 1948 · OT 0046911 76 TALBOT ST. N. Oct 14 - "Corpse" Schoolhouse Theatre, St Jacobs, Murder Mystery, lunch incl $99.00 Oct 14 - St. Jacobs, shopping, market & village, lunch incl $76.00 Oct 25 - Turkeyville dinner theatre "The Bathtub Gin Murders" roaring `20's theme $89.00 Oct 10-13 - Vermont Fall Colours, lunch at Vontrapp Family Lodge & more $549.00 Nov. 3-4 - The Royal Winter Fair, horse show tickets, city tour & more $176.00 Nov. 7,8,9 - Ohio, Amish country tour, shopping & more $259.00 Nov 11 - Frankenmuth, shopping, chicken dinner at Zehnders $72.00 Dec 2 - Christmas Carols, Stratford, holiday music choir, dinner incl $97.00 Dec 2 - Santa Express, Port Stanley Christmas train, shopping turkey dinner incl $87.00 Dec 9 - "White Christmas" Fox Theatre Detroit, classic broadway style musical $119.00 Dec 11 - "Christmas Calamity" Wallaceburg, dinner theatre, prizes, treats, & more $84.00 TRAVEL Ltd. ESSEX 776-6439 Winter Sun Books now available, Apple Vacations, Sunquest, Nolitours, Conquest, Air Canada, Sunwing, Signature & more. Maidstone drummer to compete in Edmonton Edmonton Nov. 16. "I was surprised," Collins said. "Every year the (Fun Fest) judges send you comments and I take them and work on them to improve. That's what I did this year." Collins, 19, has been drumming for 14 years. This was his third year as a participant in the Fun Fest talent show. Last year he finished in second place. TREASURE HUNTING (Flea Market) Jordan Collins, centre, is surrounded by representatives of the Western Fair Sunday in London, Ont. ollins won first place in the youth and talent how competition for his original drum solo. He dvanced to the competition after winning the ssex Fun Fest talent show in July. RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED SEPTEMBER 23 & 24, 2006 9 AM - 5 PM Admission · FREE PARKING $3.00 · REFRESHMENTS AVAILABLE (Children 12 & Under FREE!) FRIDAY NIGHT BY FREE PRESS STAFF Jordan Collins, the Maidstone drummer who won the Youth and Junior Talent Show at the Essex Fun Fest in July, has won the Western Fair competition in London, Ont. Collins advanced to the Western Fair after his per- formance earned him the top spot July 9 at the Fun Fest. His original drum solo advanced him through the competition on Sept. 12, 15 and 17. The win Sunday earned him $1,000 and the chance to compete at the Canadian Youth Talent Competition at the Winspear Centre in 6155 ARNER TOWN LINE, COUNTY RD. 23, ESSEX ON. N9Y 2E5 8KM / 6 MILES SOUTH OF HWY. #3 OR 3 MILES NORTH OF CTY. RD. 20 (519)776-6909 1-866-776-6909 www.ctmhv.com Dinner Specials Live ntertainment E Proceeds go to our Education Programs 6:00 - 9:00 P.M. 2 eggs, choice of meat, homefries, $ toast & $ coffee A L L D AY B R E A K FA S T $ 3 95 4 95 9ti5 ll 11 am after 11 am HOURS: TUES. - FRI., 6:30 A.M. - 2:00 P.M. SAT. - SUN., 8:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M. CLOSED MONDAYS CALL FOR INFO 519-839-5566 105 Talbot St., W. - Cottam