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Clinton News-Record, 1971-08-12, Page 1Weather 1971 NI LQ 197Q Hi 40 Aug. 3 so 55 72 55 4 72 46 69 48 5 76 43 73 50 6 75 42 76 47 7 80 47 81 55 8 85 53 82 54 9 87 57 84 61. Rain Rain — nil 7'hursduy, August 12, 1971 106 Yeur k No, 32 (,Iilltrot, Ott to rico 15 cents Clinton News-Record Clinton council to meet with Tuckersmith on land development The bare ribs of the building where so many memories were made stood against the sky Monday morning. The old Lions' arena was being torn down. Since the new arena was built the old building had become more and more of an eyesore and this winter the heavy load of snow caved in part of the roof so it was de'cided to pull it down, along with the old Wearwell factory nearby. Here a lone worker (upper left) is silouetted against the sky as he works on the building. Survey shows voters favor controls 3 hospitalized, several treated in suspected food poisoning case discuss future development of the area along the industrial committee suggested the letter the Bayfield river south of Clinton. be sent. He said the two councils should get Councillor Clarence Denomme, head of together to ask the Ausable River Three persons were admitted to hospital and several others were treated and released Saturday evening following a suspected outbreak of food poisoning, Those treated had been guests at a wedding banquet held at the Canadtan Legion Hall in Clinton catered by a private caterer, st Column Mayor Don Symons told Clinton Council that the response of the public in providing suggestions for the A.T, Cooper Memorial has been very good. He said he appreciated people taking the time out to write letters with their suggestions. He did not reveal any of the suggestions, but said council would hold a special meeting to consider them later in the month. The delay in discussion will allow anyone who has not yet made a suggestion for the use of the $25,000 to be donated by Willis C. Cooper for the memorial to submit his or her idea to the town clerk's office. * * * A SWEEP crew may soon be at work cleaning up that pond at the back of the high school, Mayor Symons told council Monday night that he understood from Reeve Harold Lobb, who had been in touch with the Students Working in an Environmental Enhancement Program, that they had agreed to clean up the pond if they could find the time to fit it in among their many summer projects. Reeve Lobb was not present at the meeting to confirm this, * * * Councillor Russell Archer, head of the Public Works Committee, recommended Monday night that next year the town go back to the use of oil to keep down dust on the town's gravelled streets. Archer said he had gone along with the advocates of calcium chloride who said it took two or three years to build up a good base of the chemical in the roads and thereafter the dust problem would be under control and calcium treatment would be less expensive. However, he said, this is now the third year of the experiment and the complaints about dust have been loud and long. He said the department has used more calcium than ever before in an attempt to combat the dust. * * * With a few exceptions, the reconstruction work on Clinton's main street has been done to the satisfaction of the town's engineers, council was informed Monday night. The exceptions involve drainage problems for the most part and will be corrected by the contractor, Russ Archer, chairman of the Public Works, will also contact Bell Telephone Company to see if they can speed up their work along the boulevards on Vinegar Hill, which has blocked the sidewalks in several places and uprooted the newly-laid sod. * * * Fire Chief Grant Rath is to be asked by council to investigate the piles of dry lumber around the Fabian Furniture factory. Mayor Symons said Monday night that he felt it constituted a teal fire hazard and he would like to see the mess cleaned up. He said the town also had an interest in the building since the company bought the property from the town. * * * We are glad to welcome our Hensel!. orrespondent, Mrs. Maude Iledden, home from hospital in Exeter where she had been patient for several weeks. News from thaX village has been very scarce without its hard-working correspondent. We hope she will soon be feeling as well as she was before she was forced into hospital. The meal was served at 5 p.m, following the wedding ceremony and by 8 p.m. several of the guests reported feeling ill, As the norther grew, they began to seek medical aid. Mrs. Dorothy McLean of John St. had catered to the wedding and said Wednesday that the Huron County Medical Officer of Health had conducted tests on the food and might have a report by Thursday or Friday. She said she had asked the MOH to release the results of the tests to the public as soon as they were available. Mrs. McLean said she had been informed by the MOH that the department could see nothing faulty in the preparation of the food which would have caused food poisoning. "She understood," she said, "that the health officials were investigating the possibility that the poisoning could have resulted from some commercially prepared product used in the food. The Huron County Health Unit would make no comment when questioned on Wednesday morning. Mrs. McLean said she thought her catering days were over, even though she had been assured by health officials that her preparation of the food was not faulty. Mrs. McLean, who has been involved in catering both for herself and with various women's groups for many years in Clinton, said she felt sick herself when she heard the news that others had become ill, and her sickness was not from food poisoning. Hullett appoints Hunking to board Councillor Joseph flunking was appointed as Hullett Township's representative on the Blyth Recreation Committee when the township council held its monthly meeting in the Londesboro Community Hall, August 2. Blyth Agricultural Society was given permission to sell lottery tickets in the township by the council. The road superintendent is to call for tenders on road construction on side road 10-11, concession 1-2. A petition was received for a new Municipal Drain signed by Brian Hallam and several others. It was sent to the Maitland Valley Conservation, Authority for their consideration. The report on the Pickard Drain was formally referred back to the engineer for further consideration. The revised report on the drain has been received and will be considered at a meeting on August 16 at 8:30 p.m. Traffic charges dealt with by court Traffic charges almost entirely made up the fines handed out on Wednesday, August 4 at court, Robert Layton of RR 5 Clinton, was fined $18 for speeding, $20 for failing to produce a license and $25 for a defective exhaust. Steve Layton of the same address was fined $35 for unnecessary noise and $35 for consuming liquor while under 21. He was also remanded for trial in Goderich, September 9 on a charge of careless driving. Willard Junior Cotton was remanded to October 6 on two charges of assault and for obstueting a peace officer. Harvey Bernard of Clinton was fined $40 fot unnecessary noise and John 13jerg was fined $20 for a defective exhaust. There were four orders for personal service and one bench warrant issued. Clinton town council voted Monday night that a letter be sent to Tuckersmith Township council to set up a meeting to Eighty-five per cent of those surveyed In a poll conducted by Ross Whicher, M.P. for Brun' recently favoured wage and price controls. Mr. Whicher, speaking at a meeting of the Huron Federation of Agriculture held Thursday night in Ifensall said he had no doubt the results would be much the same if the survey was conducted in Huron County or jest about any other riding in the Wintry. Mr. Whicher was at the meeting, accompanying Murray Gaunt, M.P.P. for Huron-Bruce who was guest speaker at the meeting. He said when he brought the results of the survey to the notice of "his friends in Ottawa" (he is a Liberal backbencher) they always had reasons why it couldn't be done, How would farmers like it for instance, if price controls came in tomorrow and egg prices were frozen at their present level? His answer to those in Ottawa, Whither said, would such controls really work in Canada when it is tied so closely to the economy Of the United States and the government there recently signed a new contract with the railway workers that gives them a 42 per cent increase in wages over the next 42 months. On the same subject Gaunt said he was not a great advocate of government Controls. He said he thought any controls would have to be across the board, much like they were during World War Two, During the war they had been easy to police because everyone went along with them but now it might be impossible because everyone would be out to beat the system. Conservation Authority to do a feasability study on the area between highway 4 and highway 8. Most of the land involved, Denomme said, is in Tuckersmith with a small portion in Clinton, but he said both municipalities would benefit by development of the area. Action on the area was recommended in a report published in the News-Record last fall. The article proposed that the valley land along the river be developed as parkland and that the area south of this running south to the Canadian Forces Base be zoned into industrial, residential and commercial areas. Councillor Denomme said the conservations authority would soon be preparing its budget for the next year and those who got their requests in first would be most likely to get immediate action. Council also plans to call a meeting of area municipalities to discuss the problem of cost-sharing in recreation programs. Many Clinton councillors feel that the rural municipalities should help meet the costs of recreation since they also use the facilities. At present, Clinton taxpayers pick up the whole tab for recreation costs. In other business, council gave the go-ahead to B.M. Ross and Associates, engineers, to prepare plans for a 1400-foot-long storm sewer running north on Raglan Street from Ontario Street. The sewer will use 12, 21, and 24 inch tile and will cost a total of $25,300. However, councillor Russell Archer, chairman of the Public Works committee estimated the town's share of the drain will be $8500 if the town crew did the work. He recommended tne town go ahead with the work because there was "a real water problem" at Ontario and Raglan affecting several property owners in the area. He said ° the home owners along Raglan paid enough taxes,they had a right to better service, Meanwhile, the Clinton Pipe Band is to get uniforms, but they won't wear them. Council voted Monday night to give the uniforms and equipment of the defunct Clinton Marching Royals band to the pipe band which can then sell them and use the money for its own needs, The decision followed a request council received last month from the pipe band for a donation to buy new equipment, The band had said it needed new equipment or it was in danger of losing many of its younger members to other bands. After discussion at the July meeting, council had appointed councillor, William Crawford, to investigate what was left of the old Marching Royals. Crawford found there was a small balance in the bank account of the band. He said there were also about 25 full uniforms of the band stored in the former ballroom of the town hall and several instruments, These, he said, were in danger of deteriorating if left where they were. He said John Wise, the only member of the executive of the former band still living in Please turn to Page 9 onservationists study problems of Bayfield River BY LIZA WILLIAMS Thursday night, August 5, eight Junior nservationists tailed a meeting at the atna Town Hall for all people interested in e future of The Bayfield River. In this age when pollution and nervation have become foremost on the Of problems, the Junior Conservationists looking for solutions. Sponsored by ntarlo's Department of the Environment, rmerly the Department of Energy arid spumes Management, the eight teenagers Signed to the Bayfield River area are orking in conjunction with the Ausable iver Conservation Aughority, of Whith yfield is a member. The eight boys, ages 16 to' 18, are from over Ontario. Under the supervision of eir group leader, Tom Prout, they spent o weeks in training—one week in the asstootn, and one doing field work—before ming to the hayfield area for their ye-week study. The boys were -chosen for the job out of ur hundred applicants this year. Sixteen ore boyS and six girls (allowed in the vagrant for the Mat time since it waS set up, x years ago!) are Working in groups at Ilwood Lake neat Fergus, Ontario, and the ugeeri Valley. The eight boys, Larry Murray, Doug nn, Dave Hawke, Bruce.McGillivray, Gary langer, Tom Hurlbut, Mike Hamilton, and b Moore, all have speeial qualifications, I interested in outdoor life and activities, ch one 'has a special talent in some field, Nether it is scuba diving, ornithology, or eanography. Several of the boys feet that ese interests will lead to career ssibilities. or the study of the hayfield River, the nior Conservationists broke into groups to tackle individual aspects of the situation, Wildlife (animals arid birds), soils, fish, and Water pollution were each investigated by two boys. They frequently compare mains, and get together to do trapping and cross-sections. Now they are more than halfway through their survey, and they wanted to know what the people who own the property in question think. "What do you people want to see happen to the rivet?" asked spokesmen Bruce McGillivray. 'We're asking what should be done, not telling" said Rob Moore, The general conceinsus of the 25 or so people attending the meeting was that they had come primarily to learn, and therefore would rather listen thati talk. Their two main concerns seemed to be erosion and pollution. They were property-owners on both sides of the'river, from hayfield, Varna, Clinton, and as far away as Seaforth, Bayfield's Reeve Oddleifson explained to the Junior Conservationists when asked why hayfield didn't have its own Conservation Authority, that the village is too small, and that it would be too expensive for the amounts and coats of remedial work nee Through a community effort within the mueicipality, Bayfield joined the Ausable River Conservation Authority.. The boys explained the results of their survey so fat by categOry. Larry said that thete is a variety of species of fish native to the hayfield River, but that many of them ate killed off hi the spring and fall by the lamprey trap. A lamprey trap is a set of four metal bats connected to an electrie current, which kills anything which comes in contact With it. There is a fence around it preventing it from being a hazard to sWitnniers. Leery said that if the river were to be developed as a fishing spot, the lamprey trap Would have to be removed. Pools for bass Would have to be deepened, and rock spill ways built up. Access is available how to these up-river areas by seldom-used trails. If the area were to be expanded for commercial use, the trails and surrounding land would have to be bought by the Ansable River Conservation Authority. However, several landowners from the area around the Bayfield bridge protested this suggestion, They feel there are enough fishermen already. "As it is now, the river is charming, and we don't need a big sportsman's fishing operation." Dave told about wildlife and henting. The woods around the river ate filled with wild animals and birds, mostly deer, pheasant and other game birds, and rabbits. Quite a few sportsmen coine through the area, and Dave suggested opening a game fatm, stocked with pheasants and other game. The hunting would be controlled, with a charge per day, -"This would bring some money into this area," he said. The comment was repeated that river area residents are not very fond of the idea of developing the land for public use. "We have trouble with transient hunters who come in and shoot everything in sight," Bruce, introducing the subject of birds from an Observor's point of view, said that right now there are at least 70 breeding spec ies--"and that's pretty good for this time of year!" He said that in the spring there are 150-200 breeding softies. "It's a tremendous area for ornithologists." He suggested that marked footpathS could be put through the 'woods, making it pleasant for hikers as well 'as bird-Watchers, As a general comment on developing the area, the Conservationists emphasized: "You don't want to clear bUt the area; you want to keep it as natural as possible," Soil erosion is a problem which the Conservationists can See is grave along the Bayfield River. Mike described how they had taken samples along the batiks of the river and classified the types of soil. They found it to be mostly silt in many areas, Where there were cliffs Or bluffs, they collected soil samples at the top, and noted what plants or crops grew there. Erosion Occurs along the banks of the river where trees are either cleared out or have fallen away, The banks, svhich ate mostly just clay, can hold neither trees nor soil. Through natural -weathering, the cliffs crumble and wash away into the river. Where the river is harrow, the force of a lot of water in a small space eats away at the banks. Places where the river is wide are in some cases examples of the effect of this sort of force over a period of many yeats, As Reeve Oddleifson pointed patts of the Bayfield River resemble a delta—the paths and courses of the Rivet shift from time to time, leaving the valley laced with eroded stream beds. In many eases, the silt carried downstream from this type of action has filled in the fiver bed to some extent, A man owning property near Seafotth said that where he is Nhe whole bottom of the river is covered with silt. You can -walk across it with rubber boots on and leave a dirty streak behind. That area used to be swimmable, with 12 or 14-foot-deep• holeS. 'We'd never miss a summer evening's swim! The holet ate filled in now to five or six feet deep." One answer to controlling the width and depth of the river would be to put a channel through the center of some of the wide beds. This would stop the aimless, wide-spread erosion in the valley. The Conservationists said that the best way to arrest immediate erasion of the deer banks Is to pet deflectors against the banks to receive the actual force of the water. They explained that it is not just the presence of the -water next to the land -which erodes it, but the hydrolic power of the Water, Deflectors could be Made from concrete, but logs would be just as effective, lets expensive, and easier to install, Other measures to be taken might be planting *town vetch and other grasses Which root well; or building concrete abutments to divert the water. Pollution is a topic to which the Junior Conservationists have given much exploration, Using the results of water samples, they have discovered that there ate some phosphates and nitrates present in the water. Investigating the sources of these pollutants, they found that an equal amount comes from runoff from fields and farm drainage ditches as from towns. One land-owner from up near Seaforth said that there are -cattle grazing in the river there. "That would do it," he said, and several othem nodded. Up from the Varna Bridge, the Bayfield River is split into- t go branches. Apparently both branches contribute equally to the amount of pollution found lower down, said Gary. The water has been declared safe for swimming, with a Much lower pollution count some Other areas of the Ausable River Conservation Authority. But one land-owner disagreed. "In an ordinary summer it's dry—absolutely dry, This year there's water, but it's covered With green saint. If you swath in the river near My place, you'd smell for a Month. Sorne people corhplaihed that Wastes froth Seaforth and Clinton were contributing to pollution in the tiver. They said that the sanitary system in Clinton is overloaded. A Clinton resident answered that it is costing $410,000 to do the sanitary plant Over "but we want to do it because we're looking to future develotinients," Toni brought up the question of dumps and garbage. The Bayfield dump was the target of much criticism, There is garbage burning right beside the road, and paper and litter strewn on both sides. "This is pollution at its worst." Roger Martin, Resources Manager of the Ansable River Conservation Authority, pointed out that open dumps are now illegal—it just takes time to enforce it and to provide alternate solutions to the garbage ptobleit. The ConserVationsists added that an experiment is being undertaken at Guelph to plough the St. Catherine's garbage under the ground to decompose an be used as organic fertilizer. This is called aerobic disintegration. At the hayfield dump, where layers and layers of garbage seal each other off from oxygen, the process of decomposition is anaerobic, and much slower. The meeting Was a learning session for both the Bayfield River land-owners, and the Junior Conservationists: In the weeks of studs/ remaining for the boys, they will take into account the information and opinions they asked for. Hopefully residents of the river area will 'also study the problem individually, and solutions can be put in Motion for some of the probletns. A coMptehensive report Will be made available in December by writing to the Ausable Rivet Conservation Authority, 4:Mt-titling the findings of 'all the Junior Conservations.