Clinton News-Record, 1969-10-23, Page 1The Pickett house at height of Saturday evening's blaze
on
1.04111 .Y.A19.. NO. 43 OLINIQN, -.QNTAMQ THUFISQAY„.Q.QT(:)13U 25, 1969 PRic nii.PPPY 15c
Neighbors try to raise money
for eight left homeless by fire .
Police chief keeps job
without move to town
The first
column
Central Huron Secondary
School's annual commencement
exercises will be held tomorrow
evening at eight o'clock.
Parents and friends have been
invited to share in the ceremony
of presenting diplomas and
certificates to 240 students, 35
of whom will also receive awards
and scholarships.
Ian S. Fraser, a consultant for
the city of Windsor who headed
the English department at CHSS
from 1963 until this year, will
address the graduates. Harold
Newland, son of Dr. and Mrs. F.
M. Newland, will be class
valedictorian.
The Clinton Community
Credit Union took two busloads
of Huronview residents to
luncheon at the Tiger Dunlop
Inn and on a tour of the Huron
County Pioneer Museum at
Goderich last Thursday,
international credit union day.
More than 60 of the oldsters
went on the trip, but because of
bad weather the number was
smaller than organizers had
hoped for.
* * *
Any reader who wishes to
express his or her opinion on
current local events is welcome
to write a letter to the editor for
publication, but we can print
only those letters which come to
our office signed with the name
and address of the author. We
Will, on request, withhold the
name of a writer or permit use
of a pen-name when, the letter
appears in the paper.
* *
Except for -some corn to be
picked and turnips to be pulled,
this year's harvest is about
complete, according to Thomas
W. Clapp, associate agricultural
representative' for Huron
County,
Fall plowing Was very slow
until last weekend's rains, said
Mr. Clapp in this week's crop
report, The soil was relatively
hard and dry, but has now
softened . and plowing should
progress more quickly.
* *
The Bev, George Goth of
London's Metropolitan 'United
Church, newspaper columnist
and radio broadeaSter, will be
guest speaker at the fall banquet
Of Clinton Legion &aria 140
oh Nov. 6. The dinner is
scheduled not for Seven o'clock
or seven-thirty, but exactly at
7:12 P.m,
Please turn to Page 8
After meeting with Police Bayfield to Clinton within a
Chief Lloyd Westlake for three year.
hours in committee-of-the-whole The decision this week,
Monday night, the town council disclosed in a statement by
announced that it,. decided to Mayor Donald E. Symons on
reverse last year's decision to Tuesday morning, will be put
require the chief to live in town. before council in open session
The council resolution which Nov. 10 and is expected to be
appointed the chief last Nov. 1 approved.
stipulated that he move from "It was a rather good
Martha Newland, in grade 13 at Central Huron SedOridaty
School 'Clinton IS not Modeling the Style of the '70's (we
hope). When snapped by h, , 0, Hunt, a .CHS teacher and
vearboOk photographer, she was showing grade 9 newComers a
typital Outfit and hairstyle- for Initiation.
meeting," said the mayor after
Monday's conference, "it
sometimes pays to clear the air.
A lot of things were settled and
one thing that was proved is that
the chief has never failed to
respond to an emergency call.
There is no instance on record
that we know of where an
emergency situation was not
looked after and the chief can
almost always be reached by
telephone at home."
"It is all cleared up," said the
mayor, "and we hope to have
very good communications
between the force, the police
chief and the council."
"I think that the whole sum
and substance of it is that he is
capable of doing his job — or at
least we feel he is — while living
in Bayfield. There are arguments
on both sides, but I think that
now in our present day and age
with the communications at our
disposal the distance means only
a matter of a few minutes. I
think we are very fortunate ,..
council feels we have a very
dedicated chief ..."
The Mayor noted that Sgt.
Leroy Oesch has been ill more
than a week and Constable
Clarence Perdue was injured last
Please turn to Page 8
DOT to visit
CFB Clinton
Huron MP Robert McKinley
disclosed Wednesday afternoon
that officials of the federal Dept.
of Transport will visit CFB
Clinton next week to assess its
potential for use in transport
training after the Dept. of
National Defence phases out
operations here in 1971,
Mr, McKinley said the DOT
representatives will be at the
base on Oct, 27, and 28 in
response to letters he wrote to
all government departments
Urging them to consider using
the base When the armed forces
abandon it,
Mr. McKinley said he has also
received a letter from
Communications Minister Eric
Kierans Who suggested that the
base facilities be used 'as a
training centre for several
departments with either the
Public Service COnimissiort or
the Treasury Board
co-ordinating the operation.
The post office would use the
base to the "fullest extent
possible to meet its needs" it
such ; a 0-Operative plan IS
adopted, Mt. Kierans Said.
A family of eight made
homeless when their Goderich
Township farmhouse burned last
Saturday evening have been
given clothes and temporary
shelter. Neighbors are seeking
donations to a fund to meet
other needs.
The fire leveled the Roy
Pickett family's two-storey,
brick veneer, frame house on the
14th concession about three
,miles west of Clinton. Firemen
,arrived too late to do more than
protect a driving shed and garage
nearby. The house and its
contents were uninsured.
Mr. Pickett, 49, and his
80-year-old mother, Mrs, Henry
Pickett, were milking cows in
the barn when the fire broke out
between eight and eight-thirty.
An incident in which Clinton
Constable Clarence Perdue was
assaulted outside a teen ,town
dance last weekend has resulted
in charges being laid against two
young men.
James Heard, 18, of RR 2,
Clinton, was charged with
assaulting a police officer.
Willard Junior Cotton, 21, of
Clinton, was charged with
causing a disturbance and having
liquor in a place other than a
residence.
The two will appear in
provincial judge's court here on
Nov. 5.
Constable Perdue suffered a
broken bone in the instep of his
left foot when he tried to 'take
Heard into custody. Auxiliary
Constables Fred Shropshall and
Ron Scotehmer were on duty at
the dance in the Community
Centre and reportedly ousted
Heard and :Cotton twice bef
C obStabl 'Perdue,
Three Beech Street buildings
. the Clinton Community
Centre, Huron Laundry and
Clinton Dry Cleaners — were hit
by burglars Tuesday night.
Police Chief Lloyd Westlake was
being assisted in the
investigation yesterday by Sgt.
Murray Peer, an identification
specialist from the Mt. Forest
OPP district headquarters.
Doug Andrews, recreation
director, said a panel in the rear
door of the arena was kicked in
and "everything that was locked
was broken open."
Mr. Andrews said every door
London's Sisters of St. Joseph
Concert Band will perform at
CFB Clinton prior to a Canadian
Cancer Society panel discussion
Tuesday evening.
The 50-member band,
believed to be the first organized
within a Canadian religious
order, is directed by Martin
Boundy and made its debut at
the University of Waterloo last
spring.
The band has taken to the
road to mark the centennial year
of the order's coming to the
London diocese and the concert
at the base is one of a series in
southern Ontario to be followed
by stops in Edmonton and
Winnipeg. Long-range plans call
for a European tour.
Besides a varied repertoire of
instrumentals, Tuesday's
program will include a' number
of vocal selections by band
members. And by laying aside
flutes, clarinets, trumpets,
French horns and trombones,
the full 50-member band will
convert instantly to a 50-yoke
choir.
The panel diseuSsion, hosted
by the base and sponsored by
the cancer ,society's Huron
County unit, will cover
prevention, detection, treatment
and dire of cancer.
Don Gray, CFPL-TV
personality and direetior of
educational teleVision for the
London Board of Education,
By 'the time they noticed the
flames, a neighbour had already
called the fire department, Four
of• the five children were with
their mother at a Christian
conference meeting in town.
Clinton Fire Chief Grant Rath
said the fire is believed to have
started in an overheated stove
pipe in a. wood stove in the
kitchen. .A stiff wind fanned the
blaze and ' flames quickly
enveloped the Whole structure.
The intense heat drove
spectators far back, across the
farm lane into`a field..
Mr. and Mrs. Pickett and Mr.
Pickett's mother will stay in a
trailer on the 80-acre farm until
they can find other
accommodation. The trailer was
furnished by a relative.
Chief Lloyd Westlake said
that Constable Perdue tried to
put Heard in the police cruiser, a
scuffle ensured, the constable's
foot was injured and the youth
escaped on foot. Cotton,
meanwhile, was put in the
cruiser by the auxiliary men, but
an unidentified person opened
the other door of the car and
released the young man before
he was taken to the police
office.
Recreation director Doug
Andrews said that all but a few
of the young people attending
the dance were well-behaved,
and said that there was no
disturbance in the auditorium.
He did say that someone that
evening damaged doors and
fixtures in the men's washroom.
Repairs will cost about $200, he
added.
Constable Perdue's foot is in a
cast and he will be off work for
five to six weeks."
was pried open — the kitchen,
office, refreshment booth,
locker rooms, skate shop, team
equipment room, broom closet
and furnace room. The vending
machines were looted and "they
ransacked everything," he said.
An insurance adjuster was
inspecting the damage yesterday
afternoon and no loss estimate
was immediately available.
The laundry was entered
through a furnace room door,
the office was ransacked and the
pop cooler robbed. The cleaners'
building was entered through a
bathroom window.
, will be panel moderator.
Members will include Maurice J.
Grimes, executive director of the
cancer society's Ontario division;
Dr. Kenneth I. Mustard, division •
medical advisor; Sister St.
William, the division's education
Four of their children, Jacob,
11, Mary, 12, Gwen, 3 and
Joyce, 16, will stay with Mrs.
Pickett's sister and her husband,
Mr. and Mrs, Bruce Dupee, of
James Street, Clinton.
Another son who was living at
home, Gordon, 20, will stay
with his older brother, Ivan, in
town.
Mrs. Frank. Potter of RR 3,
Clinton, said yesterday that the
response from the community
has been "overwhelming" and
that the immediate clothing
needs have been met. A "fire
victims fund" has been
established, she said, and
donations are being accepted by
both banks and the 'credit union
in Clinton, by Glen Price at his
garage on Highway 8 west of
town and by herself and her
husband.
The family was outfitted by
the Salvation Army without
charge last Sunday afternoon
and more clothing was donated
in response to a plea made to the
Ontario Street United Church
congregation. Women from
Adastral Park at CFB Clinton
had held a rummage sale
Saturday and after hearing of
the fire, sorted through and
selected unsold items which
could be used by the Picketts.
BY RICHMOND ATKEY
The Bank of Montreal's
Clinton branch was chosen by
the Huron County Board of
Education as its "authorized
bank" Monday evening.
It was noted that by not
including the words "Interim"
or "permanent" in the
resolution;-the boardtan amend
or rescind the motion at any
time.
The bank's Goderich branch
has handled school board funds
since the county school system
was established lasf,January, but
removal of the head office to
Clinton makes it preferable to
use the Clinton branch, it was
said.
The board's payroll is handled
on a contract basis by the
Canadian Imperial Bank of
Commerce and is separate from
the general account in the Bank
of Montreal.
D. J. Cochrane, director of
education, said that a
representative of another bank
asserted that the account was
large enough to split between
two banks or divide among
more. .
"I pointed out to him," Mr.
Cochrane said, "that it is our
main objective to keep this
co-ordinator and Dr. G. P. A.
Evans, Huron medical officer of
health.
Anna Meyer, former host of
CKNX-TV's "Woman,to-
Woman" show, Will emcee the
event to be held in the CFB
The family is still in "dire
need," said Mrs. Potter, and cash
donations to the fund will do
the most to help relieve their
plight. She did say that cooking'
utensils are also needed,
although dishes and tableware
have been supplied by neighbors
and relatives.
There was no chance to save
the house, so firemen needed
only a relatively small amount of
water to protect the other
buildings. The wind was blowing
in a direction which kept the
barn out of danger, but Fire
Chief Rath noted that the,scores
of spectators' cars lining the road.
Would have made it all but
impossible to bring in water or
more equipment, or to leaVe the
farm in the event of another fire
occurring.
A' pickup truck with 13 milk
cans of water did arrive soon
after firemen and the extra
supply was pumped into the fire
truck to replenish the tank.
Similar traffic problems
occurred about a week ago when
fire leveled a large barn north of
Blyth. In that case tanker trucks
did have to ferry water to the
farm and the provincial police
had to be called to clear the
route.
matter as uncomplicated as
possible. I told him we were
satisfied at the present time."
Mr. Elliott pointed out that
the situation can be reviewed by
the board at any time and a
decision made at the board's
discretion.
Industry ideas
sought by town
Members of the town council
met with the industrial
committee Monday evening and
agreed to invite an Ottawa
company to send someone here
to talk about ways to attract
industry. The firm, T. E.
McLaughlin Development
Associates Ltd.,, wrote the town
last August offering its services
and offering to discuss ways it
might help the town's efforts'to
spur development and creation
of jobs.
County planning board
representatives and Tuckersmith
Township officials are to be
notified and asked to attend so
that use of CFB Clinton can be
included in the talks.
Clinton Recreation Centre which
can accommodate an audience
of 2,000. Starting time for the
concert is . eight o'clock.
Admission is free and there is
ample parking space on the base
parade square.
Charge two youths
after constable hurt
Burglars hit
three places
Clinton bank branch
handles school. $$
Sisters of St. Joseph to play here
The Sisters of St Joteph Concert and, seen here in kiteheiier-Waterltro Record photo tnede at
their debut last spring, will play at Crp Clinton Recreation Centre Tuesday &ening prior to a
mammoth rally planned by the Huron Unit of the Canadian Cancer Society as part of the Worhan
to' Woman Week cancer education program. in progress across Canada. The concert starts at eight
o'clock and will be folloWed 'by a panel disoussion. Admission is free.