HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1973-12-13, Page 1Clinton, Ontario 20 Cents
Rainfall .32" Rain .64"
Snow 4" 108 Year No. 50 Thursday, December 13, .1973
Weather
1973
HI (.0
DECEMBER
.1977
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4 53 42 21 16
5 52 35 34 16
6 . 35 27 42 20
7 33 28 21 9
8 32 23 32 8
9 34 24 35 32
10 33 23 32 23
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M47
Huron LIP grants Oked
Local Initiatives Program grants for the
Huron riding have been approved by the
department of manpower and immigration.
In Huron, the largest grant — $12,480 —
goes to Clinton and District Christian
School Society of the Dutch Reform Church
to add two classrooms, storagerooms and
washrooms to its Clinton school. The
school serves children in the Clinton,
Goderich, Exeter, Seaforth and Blyth
areas.
The Tuckersmith Municipal Telephone
System, which serves 1,500 subscribers,
receives $10,840 to hook subscribers to un-
derground _cable and reduce the number ef
connections on multip-party
The .usable-T3eYfield Conservation
Authority receives $7,200 to improve
woodlot and wildlife management at the
Parkhill Dam.
Two Goderich senior citizen projects
were given loans: The Information and
Friendship Centre gets $12,480 to provide
social, recreational and information ser-
vices for senior citizens; Helping Hands
receives $7,200 to make minor repairs to
homes of the elderly and provide winter
transportation, snow shovelling, window
cleaning and other services.
Teachers protest legislation
A Seaforth woman, Mrs. W. Titford won a completely decorated Christmas tree
and dozens of gifts in the Clinton chapter of the LO.D.E.'s annual Christmas
draw. Here Mrs. Bill German, left, and Mrs. Ted Davies of the Clinton Chapter
draw the lucky name. (News-Record photo)
Clintonians to pay taxes four times a year
BY WILMA OKE
Over 100 Huron-Perth Separate school
teachers attended a meeting Tuesday night
in St. Columban Roman Catholic Church
where they agreed unanimously that the
teachers are interested in the education of
the children and do not wish to see the
schools closed because of teacher
resignations.
The teachers authorized their president,
Sister Audrey Dumouchele, Stratford to
send a telegram to the Huron-Perth County
Roman Catholic school board advising it
that the provincial association of the
teachers, through Peter Murphy,' of
Toronto, was handling the salary
negotiations for them. The board also was
asked to advise Sister Audrey by Wed-
nesday night, whether the board would
BY J.F.
Just another reminder that the News-
Record's Christmas edition will be coming
out on December 20 this year, so we would
ask any advertisers or those with Christ-
mas messages that the deadline is very fast
approaching and we must have all the ads
by next Tuesday December 18.
We will also be publishing on December
28 one day late, and because both Decem-
ber 25 and 26 are holidays, we are asking
for full cooperation from our correspon-
dents and advertisers to get their copy in as
early as possible,
* * *
With all the flurry of holiday activity,
don't forget the Clinton Centennial
meeting next Wednesday night in the Town
Hall at 8 p.m. Concrete plans for the gala
year long celebrations are now being made
and every interested citizen is invited to at-
tend,
We would just like to make a belated
thanks to the Town of Clinton for bountiful
banquet and fun dance yours truly and
wife Lois attended recently. The small cost
of such an ,outing is well worth the money
in going a long way to promote community
co-operation and spirit.
meet to negotiate with Mr. Murphy.
This telegram from the teachers was sent
in answer to one from the board which
Sister Audrey received Tuesday morning.
It said "The board's negotiating committee
is available to meet with the local
negotiating committee of the teachers to
continue negotiations so that a mutually
acceptable agreement can be reached."
The board said the committee was
available to meet on the evenings of Dec.
12, 13, 18 and 19 if necessary at the Huron-
Perth board office in Seaforth.
Concerned that the board might refuse to
meet with Peter Murphy of the Ontario
English Catholic Teachers' Association.
The teachers agreed, in that event, to send
a telegram to the ministry of education
requesting a mediator to settle the salary
dispute. They will then send, as well, a
telegram to the board chairman requesting
the board to ask for a mediator too, to set-
tle the salary dispute.
Prior to the start of the meeting, two
representatives of the ministry of education
met with the teachers' salary negotiating
team. They explained the emergency (Bill
274) which Ontario education minister
Thomas Wells is proposing regarding the
teachers' bargaining rights.
The local negotiators expressed their
displeasure with Bill 274, especially the
sections that ruled that the resignations
are void and forced the compulsory ar-
bitration.
Following this, the teachers held their
meeting to discuss the legislation and the
current salary impasse. The teachers elec.
ted Gary Birmingham of Stratford, corn-
municationa officer for the Huron-Perth
milt to attend the emergency meeting being
held in the Westbury Hotel in Toronto,
Saturday.
He will express the displeasure of the
teachers with Mr. Wells' emergency
legislation and discuss a possible one-day
walkout.
The teachers questioned whether the
legislation Making resignations void was
legal as Mr, Wells proposed.
Local winners!
Winners this week itt the Clinton Retail
Merchants drew are; Mrs. Tom Chuter of
Clinton, who won a $50 gift certificate from
Lees; Carole McDowell of RR 1, Belgrave,
Who was the first winner of g $25 gift cer-
tificate from Hermann Men's Wear; arid
Mrs. M. MacLean of Clinton, who won the
first $15 gift certificate from Holland Shoes.
Beginning next year, Clinton property
owners will pay their municipal taxes four
times a year instead of the present twice a
year.
Clinton Council passed a by-law Monday
night that would divide the yearly tax levy
into approximately four equal parts.
Presently, Clinton taxes are collected on
Clinton gave third and final reading to a
by-law Monday night at their regular
meeting that establishes a joint fire area
around Clinton.
Included in the area besides Clinton are
the surrounding townships of Goderich,
Hullett, Stanley and Tuckersmith. Each
township will send a member to a newly
established seven man fire board , while
Clinton will have the other three members.
Clinton will still be the centre of the
area, caring for and manning the equip-
ment. Each municipality will pay a fee
based on the assessment of each
municipality. Fees will differ according to
the amount each municipality requires the
fire protection.
On top of the fee, each township and
Clinton will pay on an hourly basis for
BY JIM FITZGERALD
The possibilities of the nearly 400 laid-
off workers of the Hall Lamp Co. of
Canada plant in Centralia receiving any
money before Christmas now seems very
dim.
The Company closed two .weeks age4
laying off all the employees and stating
that they were short of materials necessary
for making taillight assemblies for the
automotive industry.
A few days later, however, the company,
which is a subsidiary of Leader Inter-
national Industries Inc. of the United
States, declared bankruptcy and Chrysler,
Ford and American Motors removed their
dies and tools from the Centralia plant,
At a meeting Monday of this week in
Exeter, Huron MPP Jack Riddell said that
the Hall Lamp closing may trigger the
shutdown of six or seven other plants in
the area, one in the Mitchell area and one
near Zurich.
The Hall workers learned on Monday
that their claims for holiday and severance
pay would not likely be fulfilled before
Old fire truck
Clinton's 1975 Centennial celebrations
received a big boost from the Clinton
Council Monday night when they voted
$850.32 to repair and refurbish the Town's
1928 fire truck.
The truck will be taken by the Clinton
Fire Department to various parades and
fairs in the next two years to advertise
Clinton's Centennial.
The work, being carried out by Clinton
Radiator and Body Shop, is to be com-
pleted by February.
Council was also advised by the protec-
tion to persons and property committee
that the Christmas lights have all been put
up by the Clinton PUC, but would not be
turned on until December 15, as part of the
town's contribution to the saving of energy
program.
The police committee told council that
the. Town is advertising for a new police
cruiser to replace the present one, which is
two years old.
Council also gave final reading to a by-
law to increase to towns sewage rate fro,
140 percent of the water bill to 375 percent
of the water bill. The minimum charge will
be $5.75 a month, and the maximum
charge will be $50 a month. An average
Clinton water and sewage bill will jump
from $48 a year to $96 a year.
In other business, by-law committee
chairman Don Hall, who is sitting in for
the ailing Deputy-Reeve Frank Cook, infor-
med council that a revised traffic by-law, a
new taxi by-law and a bicycle by-law will
be ready for the January meeting.
Council police, and the two snowmobile
clubs in town will meet to also go over the
town's present rules concerning
snowmobile use in Clinton.
Boxing bay, December 26, Was declared
a holiday by council And they else decided
to give a $10 Christmas bonus to oath of
the Town's employees. Council also voted
themselves their regular sessional
Allowance.
Clinton will again next year' buy $250
worth of advertising it the Blue Water
Vacation Guide, with emphasis in the ad
June 30 and December 15 of each year.'
Beginning next year, taxes will come due
on February 15, May 15, September 15,
and November 15.
Because the Town's yearly budget is not
usually finalized until late May, the first
two tax installments will be based on no
more than 50 percent of the previous year's
each fire. Goderich Township Clerk Robin
Thompson will look after the accounting
for the area.
Final details of the area have yet to be
ratified and members of Clinton council
stressed that they could back out of the
agreement in a year if it wasn't working..
Three of the townships have agreed to
the area and now, only the approval of
Stanley Township is needed.
Council, in another motion, authorized
Mayor Symons and Clerk Cam Proctor to
sign the agreement on behalf of the town.
In other business, council received a let-
ter from the Ontario ministry of treasurer,
economics and intergovernmental affairs
stating that a land freeze has been placed
on Goderich and Colborne Townships.
Council filed the •letter.
Christmas, and they openly booed Bruce
Whyte of the Unemployment Insurance
Commission office in London when he told
them they would have to wait two weeks
before filing claims and then it would take
at least 25 days to process their claims.
The workers also booed Robert Nielter-
s'cin,. international representative of Local
`4620 of the United Auto Workers, becuae
he told them money cannot be taken from
the union's strike fund for workers who
have been laid off. The union represents
the hourly rated employees at the plant.
Earlier, Dwight Strain of Clinton, a for-
mer purchasing agent with Hall Lamp, said
that eight of the former company
executives were trying to secure money to
reopen the plant, with no connection with
Leader International,
Mr. Strain said that banks and financial
institutions want more information on the
present financial status of Hall Lamp and
the reasons behind the closing before they
commit themselves to any loans.
This information will be available when
the receiver-manager, R. M. Lowe of
Toronto completes his report.
repair backed
on Clinton's 1975 Centennial,
Two cards of thanks for flowers were
received from the Town's building inspec-
tor Gene Rath and from Deputy-Reeve
Frank Cook, who is recuperating from a
heart attack.
Reeve Lobb was appointed by the town
to be Clinton's representative on the
Holmesville Landfill Committee, with
Councillor Don Hall named asanalternate.
Representation from each municipality was
trimmed to one delegate each.
During discussion of the building permits
for December, Councillor Bill Stauttener
noted that Clinton's per capita spending on
building this year was equal to that of Lon-
don Ontario. Permits passed were:
Falconer Brothers two dwellings at $25,000
each; Andy Van Altena, dwelling, $30,000;
John Anstett, sign, $600; Albert Robinson,
alterations and sign, $1,000.
Building permits in Clinton for 1973
total nearly $1.2 million, the highest on
record,
Two men receive
appotnIments
At a recent meeting of the Huron-Perth
Advisory hoard, CNIB, Harvey Howard of
Clinton, joined John Outlet, of Seaforth as
the two newest members of the Board.
Mr, and Mrs. Howard attended the
Christmas Party for the blind of Huron
County held on Wednesday evening,
December 5th, at Ontario Street United
Church, Clinton. Eighty-five people en-
joyed a wonderful meal, excellent enter-
tainment by local artists, and the spirit of
this season of the year pervaded the
auditorium.
Mr, Howard's responsibilities es a mem-
ber of the Advisory Board will be to keels
in contact with the blind of Clinton and
area and assist in every way possible, He is
also a Member of the Clinton Lions Club
who conduct the annual campaign along
with the kinsmen for funds On behalf of
the ON/13 each year,
taxes.
When the budget is finished, taxpayers
will make up the difference between the old
rate and the new rate in the final two in-
stallments.
In previous years, Clinton has found it
necessary to borrow large sums of money at
the beginning of each year until the taxes
started rolling in, in late May. The bank
interest on that borrowed money was
costing the town up to $5,000. a year in in-
terest charges,
Council thought that much of this extra
money could be saved if taxes were collec-
ted on a regular basis,
Default of a payment will mean, as it has
in the past, a penalty charge of one percent
ner month on all unpaid taxes.
In another motion, council backed a
resolution from County Council asking that
the Huron County board of education tax
levy be paid on June 30 and December 15
of 1974 .
Clinton council spent 45 minutes last
Monday night at their regular meeting
arguing with James Edward of Clinton on
several subjects, including hiring policies of
If the company reopens, Mr. Strain said,
it plans to diversify its operations so it
wouldn't depend on contracts from the car
companies. About 80 percent of the Hall
production was exported to the United
States.
Last week, Mr. Riddell revealed that the
Hall' Company still, owes $150,000 of a
$25,000 Ontario Development Corporation
performance loan which it received four
years ago when it located at the former air
base.
Mr. Strain said that the ODC has
pledged financial support if his group can
prove its operations would be profitable,
He said that more meetings are planned
with Ontario and federal government of-
ficials to try and re-organize the company
under new owners.
Clinton's chances of carrying on a
federally financed Local Initiatives Project
this year look very slight after council was
read a letter Monday night from Huron
MP, R.E. (Bob) McKinley.
Mr. McKinley said he had put in a good
word with the dept. of manpower and im-
migration for Clinton's $75,000 application
for dead tree remove]. and sidewalk con-
struction in town,
In other business, council granted the
Clinton Cemetery Board an additional
$2,000 for 1973 after the board wrote coun-
cil saying that expenses have risen, but
revenues are down this year. The board
gets much of its money from the sale of
funeral plots, and this year, the death rate
in Clinton is down,
Council received word from the Ontario
ministry of the environment that approval
has been granted for the sanitary sewer ex-
tension on Pugh's Terrace, The Clinton
PUC has already completed the work.
A letter was received from the Clinton
Kinette wondering what council's reaction•
would be to the possibilities of the Clinton
Kinettes wondering what council's reaction
would be to the possibilities of the Clinton
Kinette Club renovating the basement of
the library for-use by senior citizens. Coun-
cil appointed Councillor Don Hall and Bill
Stauttener to look into the matter.
the Public Works Department and
discussion of the planning board and the
issuing of building permits.
Mr. Edward had written several letters
to the editor which appeared in the Clinton
News-Record in recent months. Council
then invited Mr. Edward to the council
meeting to further discuss his allegations.
Mr. Edward argued that council had
hired several men 'for the Public Works
Department behind closed doors in the
committee room, and that one of those men
knew he was getting the job before it was
passed in open council and before the job
had been advertised,
Both Public Works chairman Ernie
Brown and Mayor Don Symons denied the
charge, seying the job was advertised first
and then the applications were considered.
Mr. Edward also thought that the coun-
cil was giving special consideration to Bud
Kuehl, a local developer, and Mr. Edwards
said it was a conflict of interest for Mr.
Kuehl to also be chairman of the Clinton
Planning Board.
After 45 minutes of allegations and
potentially slanderous statements, both
sides called a truce and council continued
on with its business, with Mr. Edward as a
spectator.
Mr. McKinley said that the program had
been reduced to $85 million this year from
$200 million last year. Only $50,000 has
been designated for Huron County this
year, compared to $90,000 last year.
Mr. McKinley noted that there were 16
applications from Huron, asking for a total
of $320,751.
No doubt, many of the projects will be
turned down.
Council back fire area
Hope fades for Hall workers
Man claims council unfair
Clinton's LIP chances gloomy
Sante paid en unexpected visit to the Clinton Centre of Conestoga College last
Friday night as the college held a Christmas concert and patty. Santa, however,
denied that he wee related to Clinton Centre dhaittnert ROsi atid that It
was coincidental that he looked like Ro$e. (fOniva.liecorcl phOtO)