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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1971-05-13, Page 1106 Year - No: 19 Thursday, May 13, 1971 Weather 1971 1970 HI LO HI LO May 4 •54 30 68 5 61 34 53 6 65 45 43 7 67 30 59 8 71 45 68 • 9 68 38 78 10 73 36 79 45 32 29 22 38 41. 45 Clinton, Ontario 15 (eouts. Fallin g Free Master Corporal Thomas N. McLean, son of Mr. D. W. McLean of Clinton, Ontario, floats free while taking a Military Free Fall Parachute Course conducted by the Canadian Airborne Centre at Canadian Forces Base Edmonton, Alberta. Master Corporal McLean is a Radio Technician with the Headquarters Signals Section of the Canadian Airborne Regiment stationed in Edmonton. —Canadian Forces Photo. Ouch! Taxes jump another 5 mills for resideittial Proposals made to beautify main street By this time next year Clinton's main street could, have a bright new look, and not just because the present construction program should finally be finished. Representatives• from the Clinton Retail Merchants Association appeared before Clinton town council Monday night to ask consideration of a plan to put hanging flowerpots on the light standards along the main street and to plant new trees on the north and south edges of town on the boulevards. Bill Smith and Bob Campbell of the Association made the suggestion to council and said they felt there were probably grants available for both programs but that grants were definitely available for the trees. They said they felt the merchants would be willing to pick up a portion of the costs not covered by the grants. Mr. Smith said he had already spoken to Mrs. Don Pullen, President of the Clinton Horticultural Society who said she thought the society would be willing to look after the planting of the flowerpots. Councillor James Armstrong felt it was a good program. "We've been cutting down, trees without replacing them", he said. "We should be planting trees on Vinegar Hill as soon as the construction is through." Mayor Symons suggested that the merchants meet with the special committee and explore the project further as to cost and bring in a recommendation at the next meeting. It is already too late for tree planting this year. Kinsmen appoint new executive Clinton Kinsmen Club last week elected its new executive for 1971-72. The new president of the club is Al Finch. Don Hall is past president; Bert Clifford, first vice-president; Doug Norman, second vice-president; Ron Jewitt, secretary; and Fred Lobb, treasurer. Jim Arnold will be bulletin editor for the year and Arnold Riley will be registrar. Directors are Dom Jefferson, Dave Corrie and Bill Smith. The club has two major projects this year. One of course will be the looking after 22 race dates on Sundays beginning in June at Clinton Kinsmen Raceway. A second project is the installation of lights at the baseball diamond at Clinton Community Park, estimated to cost $13,000. The club will also sponsor a summer baseball program. 1 St Column The Huron County Warden's Challenge Trophy will be played for probably the last time on May 22 when old timers from Clinton and CFB Clinton meet at community park for a softball game at 7 p.m. The challenge trophy goes to the winner of the annual match and with the Base closing this year there is the possibility that challengers may not be found in the future. The annual oldtimers game was the brainchild of former base commander Col. E. W. Ryan and the prnceeds from admissions to the game go to the Huron County Children's Aid Society. Last year the oldsters from the town won. It is hoped to make this a farewell get-together for a last goodbye between townspeople and base personnel. There will also be roller skating for the younger set. * * It's getting close to fair time again and the Huron Central Agricultural Society is planning to make this the best Spring Fair yet. For one thing, there will be three bands in the parade this year and hopefully more floats than the pitiful number that appeared last year. There will be a special feature after the horse show with Rob Walker of Creamore demonstrating sheep dog trials driving sheep and geese. ' Then there will be queen of the fair contest. Details on this Are printed elsewhere in the paper. Prize lists have now been printed and copies can now be obtained from Mr. Robert Gibbings, secretary of the society. • * * • Congratulations to Mayor Don Symons who was elected vice-president of the Town and Village section of the Ontario Municipal Association at a two-day conference held in Delhi last week. Attending besides the mayor was Reeve Harold Lobb. Both men Were singing the praises of Delhi and it's cleanliness at council on Monday night. The Mayor lamented that Clinton residents seem to be harder to train in putting their litter in litter baskets than the people of Delhi. * * Clinton town council has added its support to the proposal of Paul Roach of the Canadian Sports Training Program which would create a summer school for athletics at CFB Clinton and the former base at Centralia. The Base facilities would be used to train boys 13-18 years' of age in a program similar to the army cadet training camps that used to be held in the country. * Council voted a permit to Wallace Turkey ProductS Monday night to sell a brand of orange juice*on a -door-to-door basis. The cost of the licence is $100. Councillor Russ Archer suggested that investigation should be • made to see if other door-to-door salesmen in town might be operating without a licence. Hard hit Clinton taxpayers got hit a little harder Monday night when Clinton town council brought in its budget for 1971. The residential mill rate rose from 135 mills to 140 mills. Business and commercial rate rose to 153.2 mills, almost three mills. Cause of the tax rise was a $51,216 deficit from last year. The cause of that, in turn, was the nearly 15,000 for the sewage pumping station for the new Huron Pines subdivision, $6000 in police overtime salaries and $28000 for street reconstruction project. In addition, council had been able to hold Hullett appoints MODA reps Councillor Charlie Scanlon and clerk Clare Vincent were appointed to represent Hullett Township on the Midwestern Ontario Development Association when Hullett Township held its May meeting in Londesboro last week. At the same meeting council approved a resolution from the City of St. Catharines petitioning the Ontario government not to proceed with regional government plans until the regional structures that exist in Niagara and other regions have undergone examination and reforms. Tile drain loans amounting to $25,100 were approved. Building permits were issued to B. Havercamp for a farrowing barn; Norman Alexander for a garage and Carl Govier for a sawmill building. A permit to Henry Bouman for erection of a barn was not issued. Enumerators are to be paid five cents per dog for a dog count. Approval of a tender to install coloured steel on the township hall 'was given at a special meeting on April 20. The work will be done by Mr. Delmar Sproul and will cost $1735, Building permits 'were issued to Elgin Nott for an impleinent shed, Ross Trewartha for a pole barn and Murray Adams for an addition to his barn. i. Council approved the official plan of the county of Huron recently issued. taxes down last year by using up a surplus from 1969. The $28,000 from street reconstruction will be debentured while the rest of the deficit will be made up in the mill increase. Clinton also lost over $1500 in per capita grants this year from last because of a decrease in population by 320 persons. One blessing is the drop in cost of education this year. Public school costs were down from $101,404 last year to $98,577 this year while high school was slightly up at BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER The Huron County Board of Education has approved a recommendation to send selected teachers on summer courses determined by the Director of Education to be beneficial to the Huron County School System. The move was made to aid in the search for speech therapists, teachers of children with special learning disabilities and remedial reading teachers. "We are finding the market rather thin," said D. J. Cochrane, director of education, "and, in our opinion, we have people within our own system who could assume these positions if they had either a refresher course or an additional course that, in our Clinton Lions elect 70-71 slate Antoine (Red) Garon was elected president of the Clinton Lions Club Tuesday evening. Other officers include Vice Presidents Rev, Dr. A. J. Mowatt, Glen Price and Bill Crawford; Charles Fee, Secretary; John Wise, Treasurer; and Directors: George Lavis, Harry Merriman, John Livermore, and Dr. Prank Newland. Laurie Colquhous is the immediate Past President. $70,454 from last year's $68,512. Separate school costs were down to $2,991 from $4,079. Mill rates for education are: public schools, 30.36 residential and 33:73 commercial; separate schools, 30.96 residential and 34.4 mills commercial, The Huron County rate is slightly up from $61,300 to $61,828. The cost of public works is down from $79,300 last year to $70,800 this year. All - other costs have risen. General government is opinion, would make them more effective. We need some enticement for one or two teachers to forsake their classroom and take these courses." The board will pay, upon successful completion of such courses the $100 course allowance and the lesser of $100 and one-half the sum of proven expenses for registration, board and lodging and transportation at the beginning and conclusion of the course. It was announced that a winter course in Elementary Social Studies, Grade 1 to 6, will be conducted in Clinton on 20 Tuesdays and eight Saturdays beginning this fall. J. L. Johnson of the staff at Stratford Teachers' College, will be principal of the course. A review of. Education Week showed that the experiments in most schools to interest the parents were highly successful. It was found however, that too many activities were crowded into one week and parents with children in more than one school were not able to take in everything expected of them. The self-evaluation program report showed the need to organize teachers into many program studies. Detailed Unit Planning as initiated last year in Mathematics, science and geography will be developed under the' leadership of James Coulter, superintendent of education. up to $28,700 from $25,900; protection to persons and property, $71,334 from $70,921; sanitation and waste removal, $20,178 from $18,941; social and family services, $12,000 from $8,000; taxes written off by court of revision, $18,000 from $3000. Basic shelter grants to the town are down this year from $61,000 last year to $56,540 this year. Welfare grants will be up to $9600 from $6400. The highway improvement grants will be down from $30,500 to $18,250. Grants and subsidies from the federal government in lieu of taxes will be up to $4,159 from $4,055 last year. The total budget for this year will be $559,390. Last years budget was $507,009. Residential assessment in Clinton this year totals, $2,106,483. Commercial dssessment is $928,070. Base Colours to be retired Major Frank Golding, C.D., Base Commander at C.F.B. Clinton, Major George Youmatoff, C.D., Chaplain, and a Color Party from the Base will participate in a colorful ceremony at Wesley-Willis United Church on Sunday at 11 a.m. The Union Jack and the Airforce Ensign will be removed from the Canadian Forces Base Protestant Chapel and will be received by Rev. Dr. Andrew 3. IVIowatt, C.D., R.C.N. (mt.), former Command Chaplain in the Armed Services. The Colors will then be deposited in the church for safe keeping. The "Laying Up Ceremony" dates back several centuries to when a merchant ship was decommissioned after a period of , hostilities. After the decommissioning ceremony, the ship's white ensign was marched to a church in the ship's homeport and "laid up" for safekeeping, This tradition has been followed by units of the Armed Services when their ships or establishments have been closed, Following the "Laying Up Ceremony" the Lesson will be read by the Base Commander and Major Youmatoff will preach the sermon. There will be a Fellowship Coffee Hour after the service. Clinton town council members vented their frustrations at the rising cost of police salaries and the failure to win agreement on a contract with the police association Monday night in a 90 minute gab-fest, Council went around and around the subject with every councillor commenting at some time or other, Council and the Huron County Police Association's three Clinton members have been deadlocked for some time on the wage portion of the contract. All other portions have now been settled including reduction of the work week from 44 to 40 hours.' But wages remain the stumbling block and the association has threatened to go to arbitration but so far has not. And that was the point that bothered many of the councillors who were disturbed at the inaction. Councillor Bill Crawford noted that the police were already working on a 40-hour a week basis without the rest of the contract being settled and felt this was wrong. He felt they should accept either the whole contract or none of it. Deputy-Reeve Frank Cook said the town had hired the legal firm of Lerner, Lerner, Radley, Cherniak and Granger of London to represent it if the case goes to arbitration. He said the town will also investigate the cost of OPP policing and will ask that members of the Clinton police force be graded. Mayor Don Symons, angry at the length of time being spent on the matter and the threats being bandied about suggested that the council should ask the Attorney General's Department for a complete investigation of the police situation in Clinton. Deputy-Reeve Cook said he felt this was premature and Councillor Crawford felt it was not the time for such an investigation. "I think it is time," the mayor replied. "I think it's time to clear the air once and for ell." He told the council of a discussion that had taken place at a conference of mayors and reeves at Delhi last week which he had attended. He quoted a Windsor judge who spoke there and said that too many councils of smaller communities are too involved in police business. Councillor Russell Archer said he would go along with the mayor's suggestion of a general investigation if it meant investigation of the courts' handling of cases too. The mayor replied that was just what he had in mind. But Councillor Norman Livermore said he thought council should take one job at a time, and settle the salary dispute first. Council, finally voted to send a letter to the police association that if word to the contrary was not heard within 10 days, council would assume the police agreed to the salaries offered. The dispute involves only the town sargeant and constables. Chief Lloyd Westlake has already agreed to a $9000 salary with no overtime. In other business it was announced that Ken Flett had been appointed to fill a vacancy on the industrial committee. There is still one vacancy. Councillor Joe Atkinson of the protection to persons and property committee reported that new street lights had been installed on Kirk Street and that the roof on the firehall had been mended, free of charge, by the company that had installed it. It was reported that 12 applications have been made for a position with the public works department and applicants are expected to be interviewed some time this week. Building permits totalling $4500 were issued. Cummings challeitges Clintonians Speaking to the Clinton Lions Club Tuesday evening, Spence Cummings Huron County Development Officer stressed the urgent need for local development on a wide and varied scale. He pointed out that it would be highly unrealistic to attempt to attract large industries to this area, What.is needed in our local industrial development are small industries employing around one hundred employees. This would greatly benefit both our town and rural areas since our young - people would be able to find work locally instead of having to move to the city. But industries will not locate here until first we embark on a more extensive recreational development. Mr. Cummings pointed out that industries do not first seek out promising factory sites, as these are relatively easy to find. What they do want is a community which will have enough recreational and educational facilities to attract employees. Clinton's recreational facilities, though improving, are still inadequate as far as attracting industries or tourists. Still badly needed are attractive parks, a theatre, movie house, YMCA and YWCA type facilities, — such as a gymnasium and indoor swimming pool, — trailer park, and such like. A local economy boom can come only if the citizens of this town and community are ready to encourage and pay for better facilities. They must also keep their eyes and ears open so as to be able to pass on to our local Development Committee the names of prospective industries. Mr. Cummings concluded by saying that the only way for our community to combat our present economic doldrums is by awakening a new enthusiasm in our community for development on a broad scale: industrial, recreational, tourist, agricultural, forest, and social. County board to send teachers to school Councillors blow their cool over poli6e dispute