HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1970-10-01, Page 1Splinted timbers that used to be part of the roof of the barn in
the background lie in a field about 100 yards from the barn on
the farm of Michael Dykstra just west of Clinton after a tornado
hit Saturday. The barn had been built less than a year earlier and
was filled with 12,000 two-day-old chicks when the storm hit.
About a third were blown away, a third died from drowning or
cold and the rest had to be destroyed. — staff photo. More photos
in second section.
Stafford fails to gain wide support
DR, AO AT MccLuAt
poRecord.
'1 050 YEAR No. 40 CLINTON, ONTARIO. — THURSDAY, DCTDOER 1, 1970 PRICE PHI COPY 15C
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Area torn by tornado
Cleanup carries on
4)(10.0 for tax _,...withholding •
The roar of chainsaws and the
pounding of hammers are
prominent sounds in Clinton
area this week as residents clean
up after u tornado that wracked
the area on Saturday afternoon.
The storm apparently brewed
over Lake Huron then struck
inland wrecking cottages south
of Bayfield and hip-hopping
across Goderich Township
towards Clinton. It struck at the
farm of Edward Deeves
southwest of Clinton on RR 3.
There it demolished e driving
shed, ripped a kitchen and
woodshed from the .house and
took off part of the roof. The
roof of the barn, which was
filled with hay, also left for parts
unknown.
Damage at the farm is
estimated at about $10,000 and
was not covered by insurance.
The first
column
We welcome a new feature to
the News-Record. It's called
CHSS Happenings and will let
readers know about some of the
things going on around the local
high school.
Jolande and Andrew Amsing
have volunteered to do the work
but others from the high school
may be contributing to the
column from time to time. We
hope that it will provide
interesting . reading for those
interested in knowing what is
going on at the school and
perhaps may provide an outlet
for student opinion as the year
* * *
In case you don't think
winter is close consider this: the
Clinton Juniors hockey team
begins practices tonight at the
arena. The Clinton Colts
intermediate club will begin
practices on Monday.
The Juniors learned Monday
night. that they will be part of an
eight team league. We hope to
have more information and a
schedule for next week.
* * *
Town clerk John Livermore
said Tuesday that Harold Freure
Construction who have the
contract to build an 18-unit
senior citizens apartment in
Clinton have applied for a
building permit.
Mr. Livermore said he
understood that final agreement
between the firm and the
Ontario Housing Authority who
is building the units will soon be
signed and a start could be made
soon. However, because of the
delay at government level, it is
unlikely the project will meet its
original objective of having the'
outside structure finished by the
end of the year.
* * *
Don't forget the Hospital
Auxiliary Penny Sale going on
all this week at the town hall.
Over 89 prizes are already on
hand and more May arrive
before the final draw is made on
Saturday at 3 p.m.
In addition to the prizes, cash
donations have been given to the
Auxiliary by 54 merchants and
businessmen.
Funds raised by the project
will go toward the Auxiliary's
valuable work at the hospital so
your support is badly needed.
And who knows, you might even
be lucky enough to Win one of
the prizes, and from the lOok we
had at what's available, they sure
would be Worth winning.
Those who are lucky enough
to win are reminded that prizes
not picked up on Saturday may
be picked up next week only, at
Anstett's Jewellery.
• A complete list of prizes and
Winners will be provided in next
week's News-Record.
Weather
iom 1069
Hl LO Hi LO
Sept, 22 79 66 78 48
23 66 57 81 51
24 84 58 60, 50
25 75 54 52 46
26 72 53 70 46
27 57 48 61 48
28 53 43 56 42
Rain .72" Rain .98"
The storm hit the western
outskirts of Clinton between
3:30 and 4 p.m. The sky grew
very dark then suddenly the
wind blasted in, driving a torrent
of rain before it.
In Clinton trees went down
on Huron, Erie and North
Streets and power and telephone
lines were tangled. But the worst
damage was just outside town
where the tornado hit two large
farming operations owned by
the Dykstra family.
On the south side of Highway
8, Alfred Dykstra had been
working in his silo before the
storm. His brother Michael, who
lived across the road, drove over
in his car and asked if he could
borrow a pickup truck to take
some refuse to the garbage
dump. Alfred said yes since he
was just going into the house for
a coffee anyway.
Michael left his car parked
beside the barn and took the
pickup. Minutes after he left and
his brother Alfred went into the
house, the storm hit.
The top portion of the silo
was toppled where Alfred had
been working only minutes
earlier, and it crashed down
through the roof of the modern
dairy barn below. The entire
roof of the older main barn on
the property was lifted off and
deposited in twisted fragments
all over the yard, nearby fields
and even the highway beyond.
Officer assaulted
Youth
A youth has been charged by
Clintetepolice after a auxiliary
police constable was, assaulted
Friday night at the Elm Haven
Motor Hotel.
Constable Fred Shropshall
was assaulted while trying to
break up. a4 disturbance at the
hotel. Police 'have charged a
youth but will not release his
name until he appears in court.
On Monday, John Shanahan
of Clinton pleaded guilty in
court in Goderich to causing a
disturbance which proceeded the
assault mishap.
Meanwhile police Chief Lloyd
Westlake stated Wednesday that
no arrests have been made over
the recent bombing attempt at
Central Huron Secondary School
Or the bomb threats at several
schools. Rumors to this effect
have been circulating widely all
week but are groundless the
Chief said.
Two youths however are
charged in connection with
Dr. Robert B. McClure, M.D;
F.R.C.S., F.I.C.S., D.D., LLD.,
the only layman to' beconie
Apparently part of the roof fell
on Michael's car because it was
discovered after the storm
squashed far from its former
shape.
Steel was ripped from the
side of a chicken barn and part
of the roof torn off. About a
thousand three-week-old chicks
were sucked out and blown
away.
Michael was on the road
when the storm struck and said
he didn't think he was ever going
to get home. A ladder in the
back of the truck was whipped
out of the truck.
Meanwhile Mrs. Dykstra was
alone in Michael's 'farm house.
The storm hit and her living
room window broke. She went
upstairs to get the children who
were sleeping and had just
awakened them when the
windows began breaking in the
upstairs of the house, She said
she huddled with the children on
the floor because she couldn't
think what else to do. And, she
said later, she prayed.
Outside the wind which had
just wrecked Michael's brothers'
farm now, turned to his. Three
large barns occupied the area
behind the house. The wind left
the two closest to the house'
untouched and jumped instead
to a chicken barn built less than
a year earlier. It had just been
filled with 12,000 two-day-old
chicks.
The storm wrenched the roof
recent breakins in Clinton at
Lorne Brown Motors and Conies
Car Wash. The breakin at
Browns took place at 12:20 a.m.
on Sunday morning.
A youth was charged with
careless driving and driving while
his licence was under suspension
after a high speed chase on
North Street during which a
utility pole was broken off.
An accident occurred at
Victoria • and Maria Streets
causing $400-$500 damage to
the cars involved when cars
driven by Thomas Fox and
Just after the question of
education taxes had been given
thorough study, representatives
from the Huron County
Assessment office presented a
Moderator of the United Church
of Canada, is to be the Guest at
Wesley-Willis Church, Clinton on
from the building and crashed it
down in several splintered and
crumpled sections about 100
yards behind the barn,
Beside the barn was a long
row of sturdy evergreens. Some
were uprooted completely, some
splintered and broken and at
least one was twisted like a twig.
Few still stand.
When the Dykstras later
investigated the damage they
found nearly all the chicks on
the top floor Of the building had
disappeared while about half on
each of the other floors died of
cold and droWhing because of
the water that poured in through
open windows and where the
roof had been. Michael sadly
decided to kill the rest rather,
than have them die slowly.
Damage to Michael's farm has
not been estimated. His brothers
Alfred and Bert estimate it will
cost $15,000 to fix the barns on
their farms and then must
rebuild the silo.
In town the PUC and Public
Works departments reacted
quickly and had the major job of
removing trees from streets and
clearing downed power lines
'completed within about an •hour.
But all this week individuals
have been busy cleaning up
branches and debris from their
own property and the PUC has
been repairing street lighting
damaged by the storm. Total
cost of the 10-minute affair may
not be known for some time.
Johannus Buurs were in
collision. In another accident
cars driven by Wayne Gliders of
Goderich and Vit Chomicki were I
in collision. Charges are pending.
The last of Clinton's schools
not to be threatened with a
bombing had its turn last week.
Calvin Christian School received
the threat about 2:40 p.m. on •
Thursday. Principal Ralph
Schuurman who took the call
was warned a bomb would
explode at 3 p.m. Clinton police
and O.P.P. searched the building
but no bomb was found.
brief instruction course on the
application of the equalization
factor which will affect tax
assessment in the county
beginning in 1971,
Sunday October 4th.
Dr, McClure is to join with
the men of Wesley-Willis and
Ontario St. Churches for an 8
a.m. breakfast at Wesley-Willis.
This will be an informal
gathering where men can chat
with this dynamic
lay-churchman.
At 7.30 p.m. Dr. McClure will
be the Guest Speaker at a great
church rally at Wesley-Willis
Church. This is jointly sponsored
by the Wesley,Willis Churches.
Special arrangements will be
made to accommodate the
expected crowd from many
Huron County communities.
Dr. McClure, raised iri
the son of missionary parents,
returned to 'China to serve the
Country he loved so Well. During
the Sino.Japanese war he made a
name for himself as head of an
ambulance bridagde On the
tortuous Burma Road. When the
Missionaries had to leave China,
br. McClure joined the Gaze,
Palestine Mission, Where he
Nerved from 1950 to 1954. He
then Went to India, Where he
became known as"'t'he
Incredible tit McClure". In
120-degree heat and Monsoon
rains, Dr. Bob McClure waged
War on leprosy, polio, TB and
the population ekplosion. He 15
now Widely heard and seen on
radio, 113, and in pulpit and
plattorrii appearaneeS.
at. Count „„„
BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER
John Stafford, president of
the Huron County Federation of
Agriculture, Wroxeter, and
Mason Bailey, vice-president,
Blyth, addressed Huron County
Council. Friday morning in
Goderich but didn't gain the
support from the councillors for
which they had hoped.
The two men presented a
brief to council, on behalf of
"Huron County farmers in
Questions were invited by the
Warden, Roy WesteOtt who
warned councillors they would
be expected to return home with
knowledge about this subject.
"I have a question," said'
Wilmer Hardy, reeve of
Colborne. "Who in the world
ever came up with a thing like
this?"
"That's what education
does?" interjected Reeve Aesop
McKinley Stanley to the delight
of his fellow councillors.
Figures attached to the report
showed what changes would
have been affected in 1970 if the
new method of determining
percentage of costs per
municipality had been used to
calculate taxes.
Significant increases were
shown in Hay Township,
AShfield Township, the towns of
Goderich, Exeter and Wingham
and the villages of Bayfield and
Brussels.
In other business during the
Morning session, council
approved an executive
committee recommendation to
the effect that beginning
December 1, 1970, the
retirement police of the County
will state that all county
employees retire at the end of
the first full pay period beyond
their 65th birthday;
Approved a reforestation
report showing replanting costs
at $2221.23 of which the
county paid $1,110.62 directly
as well as $562.10 in other
expenses;
Heard that the surplus to the
end of August 1970 is $195,143
with en estimated surplus Of
$201,394 estimated for the year
ending December 31;
And planned a bus trip to the
University of Western Ontario
where members of council are to
be luncheon guests.
particular and Ontario farmers in
general" which explained the
Federation's proposal to all
Ontario ratepayers, rural and
urban, to withhold education
taxes this fall.
"As you well know, the
Federation has suggested that
farmers withhold their education
tax at the end of 1970, if
legislation is not introduced to
relieve the inequities," said
Stafford. "We are somewhat
troubled by ,this action, but so
far have not foulid any other
course drastic enough to prove
to the lawmakers that we will
not tolerate the situation."
"It's unfortunate that our
action will involve council and
may cause some embarrass-
ment," continued Stafford.
"Our purpose here is to help you
understand our position, and if
possible, to generate some
support from you."
The Federation brief noted
that while farmers pay 12
percent of their income in
property taxes, the rest of the
province pays between three and
five percent. Taking professional
people as group, the brief also
stated, they are paying only one
to two percent of their income
in property tax.
"We suggest that all costs of
education be paid by the
province," said Stafford. "The
loss of revenue can be recovered
through new tax structure and
transfers to income and
corporation tax."
Allan Campbell, reeve of
McKiilop was the first to speak.
He told the representatives from
the Federation that withholding
taxes this fall was not the best
solution to the problem.
"Why don't they start dowh
in Toronto and cut down the
cost involved and try and relieve
the east of education?" asked
Campbell.
Campbell stated that it would
cost $222,000 to update
education in 11161 illop where
there are presently six one-room
sehotals in operatiOn.
"We're old-fashioned back
there anyway," continued
Campbell. "Why don't they
leave things as 'they are for a
year of so until we see what
happens'?"
Warden Roy Westcott,
Utberne, Said his municipality
'has borrowed to the limit and
would be hi trouble if it had to
borrow much money to pay the
education levy.
"Where do We go from here?"
asked Westcott.
Stafford had no tolutionS but
he said it Would be foolish to
concede now in this matter.
"We've got them thinking
down there now," said Stafford.
"If we ride this thing out we
may get some action."
Wilmer Hardy, reeve of
Colborne, suggested a poll of the
municipalities present to
determine support for the
proposal.
"As a farmer I know that the
education tax is a problem,"
insisted Hardy, "but as a
municipal official I also know
we're going to be in real trouble
if people withhold their
education taxes this fall."
"You understand that after
three years, farmers stand to lose
their farms if the taxes are still
unpaid," advised Derry Boyle,
reeve of Exeter.
"We're hoping there will be a
concession before then,"
retorted Stafford.
Reeve Ed Oddliefson of
Bayfield said that by transferring
the cost of education to sales tax
or corporation tax it would
increase the burden of day to
day living costs.
BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER
Ethel Dewar, Huron County's
new librarian, made her first
appearance before county
council Friday afternoon,
September 25, and told
members that she has found "a
real eagerness for books" in
Huron.
She also outlined plans for a
direct mail library which will
give any Huron County resident
"access to almost every book in
the country"„ She explained that
readers can write directly to the
county library headquarters in
Goderich and the book
requeSted Will be mailed out at
no cost to the reader, just at
soon at it can be rounded up,
sometimes immediately.
A circulation" report shoWed
that Out of 32 libraries in Huron,
11 libraries, all of thent
have circulated fewer books this
year than last year. In the overall
picture, there Were almost
10,000 more bobks circulated in
Huron County during 1970 than
In 1969.
The hew library Vehicle Wes
on diSplay for bouriell's benefit
and Miss Dewar quipped that she
"Where is this spiralling cost
going to end?" asked
Oddliefson.
Mason Bailey said that the
money not paid out in property
taxes would be spent in Huron
County thus stimulating the
economy here.
Elgin Thompson,
Tuckersmith reeve, claimed that
if the education tax was taken
off property and placed on
income taxes, for instance, some
farmers would pay nothing
toward education in Ontario. He
said he knew of a farmer who
had over 500 acres and paid no
income tax at all because "he
put everything back into the
business,"
"He must have a good
bookkeeper," chided Stafford.
James Hayter asked about a
study being made right now by
the Ontario government
concerning farm assessment.
Bailey assumed Hayter was
referring to the scheme now in
operation in a township near
Brampton where farm taxes
were increased by 18 percent;
Please turn to Page 3
hoped she would be permitted
to stay in Huron for a while
since she had purchased a new
dress to match the smart blue
wagon.
Another county vehicle On
display was the Huron County "
Museum but Which takes some
eehibits from the museum
directly to the people, at fairs
etc. Allan Campbell, chairman of
the property committee, said the
Scheme had "panned out better
than Our expectations".
There is no charge to tour
this bus and according to some
re eves and 'deputy-reeves
throughout the county, it has
been well received at the local
fairs. The bus will travel to the
Plowing Match at Lindsay, too.
In other afternoon business,
council learned there it to be no
deer season in Huron this fall;
were urged to attend a seminar
on Industrial Development to be
held at CFB Clinton in October;
and heard that all municipalities
in the county are invited to
,forward information about their
localities to the county
development officer So he can
refer interested industrialists to
them.
charged in fracas
United Church Moderator to speak
at Wesley-Willis service Sunday
Council gets course on equilization
County readers said
eager for books