HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 2014-09-24, Page 5Wednesday, September 24, 2014 • News Record 5
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letter to the editor
Thoughts on trail concerns
Dear Editor:
If I were a landowner learning about a
trail next to my property, my immediate
thought would be what is in it for me. I
might well consider myself to be like a
landowner adjacent to a wind turbine
farm, the benefits going to others and all
the detriments to me. Then I would con-
sider all the downsides.
However, I believe that some of these
downsides are unlikely. The most obvi-
ous one is ATVs going off the trail onto
adjacent property. I am sure that there
would be barriers to discourage ATVs on
the trail, but some riders seem adept at
removing them, so they might still be on
and off the trail. However, they are free
to do this now and there is nothing to
indicate that this is unacceptable.
With a trail there would be notices
banning such use and also with use by
hikers and cyclists many more eyes to
report such abuse. This also applies to
people who dump garbage. Yes there are
more potential abusers, but also there
are many more people who are likely to
pick up garbage. As for emergency
access, at present where the old railway
line crosses the road, there is no signage
or 911 numbers. With a trail there would
be signage and 911 numbers, so the like-
lihood of emergency vehicles crossing
adjacent landowners property I believe
is minimal.
If the G2G follows the example of the
Kissing Bridge trail then there would be
funds to erect fencing along the trail for
those landowners wishing fencing. As
for other trails, the only local one suita-
ble for cycling is the GART (Goderich -
Auburn) trail. The G2G would be attrac-
tive to cyclists from a much wider area
than just Huron County and they will
spend money here.
Another concern is the cost to taxpay-
ers; the initial amount of support I sus-
pect is minimal, and requests for large
sums can always be refused. The
increased taxes from more vacationers
coming to the area should reduce the tax
load, and if more people get out and
exercise more, then the health costs for
the community should be lower.
However, what I would like to see is a
tax reduction (provincial and or county)
for the landowners of trails or who own
adjacent property.
As for maintenance, I have confidence
that the trail associations will continue
to thrive and continue to do an excellent
job of maintenance, especially when
more and more people are convinced of
the health benefits of exercise and get-
ting out into the natural world. We can
expect that with increasing numbers of
retired active seniors, there will a steady
supply of people to fill the necessary trail
roles.
Sincerely,
Patrick Capper
Clinton
EARLY FILES
September 12, 1968
Mayor Don Symons and members of
the Clinton Town Council complained
that Charles MacNaughton, Huron
MPP, was "too busy" to order a survey
of a dangerous downtown intersec-
tion. Traffic lights at the intersection,
installed 17 years ago, are deemed by
members of the council to be faulty
and inadequate. About a dozen acci-
dents have occurred there this year,
caused when motorcyclists failed to
see the lights.
September 22, 1977
The cloud of doom that has hung
over the Clinton Hospital for the last
18 months has finally lifted following
disclosure last week that the Clinton
hospital has been given top priority by
seven other hospitals in Huron and
Perth to go ahead with renovation
plans.
The cloud had descended on the
hospital in February of 1976 when
health minister, Frank Miller, ordered
the hospital closed as part of a cost-
cutting measure in the ministry of
health.
September 22, 1982
Plowing matches have been part of
Ontario agriculture for more than a
century. They date back as far as 1846
when the first match was held at a
farm on Yonge Street near St. Clair
Avenue, Toronto. These first matches
were held in conjunction with fairs ad
exhibitions by local agricultural socie-
ties. Later, plowing match enthusiasts
branched out on their own because it
was becoming difficult to find suffi-
cient land for plowing contests adja-
cent to local fairgrounds. Each year the
IPM draws crowds of between 100,000
and 150,000 people. For them, the
plowing competitions remain the most
important aspect of the event. This
year, as a special feature, contestants
from six provinces are competing in
the Canadian Plowing Contest being
held in conjunction with the '82 IPM.
The winner from this competition rep-
resents Canada in the World Plowing
Match next year in Zimbabwe. Canada
last won the event in 1961.
September 17, 1997
After living almost 40 years as a con-
victed murderer, Steven Truscott is
hoping to use DNA evidence to prove
his long -maintained innocence.
Truscott, when 14, was sentenced to
hang after a jury found him guilty in
the rape and murder of 12 -year-old
Lynne Harper.
September 20, 2000
At the bottom of a pit in Central
America, a young woman made a dis-
covery that changed her life and has
baffled the scientific community for
decades. And this Saturday, she is
bringing her discovery to Clinton.
While on an archeological expedition
with her adopted father, Frederick,
then 17 -year-old Anna Mitchell -
Hedges climbed to the top of the ruins
being excavated and was blinded by a
reflection. That reflection turned out to
be a crystal skull. Mitchell -Hedges is
coming to town for the lecture to pro-
mote her book, as well as visit Godin's
centre.
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