HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1986-07-16, Page 1ESTABLOSHEDO len
AGTHE SEPOY TOWN" ON THE
FOURON.BRUCE BOUNDARY
PUOLISliED IN LUCKNOW„ ONTARIO
WEDNESDAY, JULY IS, 4986
20 PAGES 40e PER COPY
4.?
Doti Gordon rumbles down the track aboard Art Helm's Ghostbuster to drive one of the
powerful tractors for the first time during the filming of 01%111 of as Lifetime" at the
Lucknow Tractor Pull on Sunday. [CENTRE] The show'* comersunan fihns descent from
the tractor and [BOTTOM] soon after he gets a big hug from his wife Beth.
[Alan Rivett photos]
Man has •"dream ride" for
Iluill of a Lifetime show
By Alan Rivett
"That was fantastic" and "t3lk about a
thrill - man oh man" was tlie way an
excited Don Gordon described being
behind the wheel of Art Helm's modified
tractor for his "thrill of a lifetime" at the
Lucknow Tractor Pull. on Sunday.
A filrn crew from CTV's Thrill of a
• Lifetime came to Lucknow to capture the
unfolding of the 43 -year-old Mississauga
• truck driver's "thrill" to drive one of the
• ultra, -powerful tractors in an actual tractor
pull. From the moment he was unexpect-
edly told he would be making his "dream
ride" to the time he thundered down the '
track aboard the Ghost Buster will make up
a segment of the popular show to be aired
in the fall.
"totally shocked"
According to Peter Cresswell, the film
-
director of Thrill of a Lifetime, this is the.
first time the show has used a tractor pull
as the backdrop -for a "thrill", He said Mr.
Gordon was "totally shocked" when he
was told that his thrill would be coming
true.
'He's in shock. Be can't believe that it's
happening to him, He just keeps kissing
bis wife," said Mr, Cresswell prior to the
occasion. He was accompanied to Lucknow
by camerainan ,,Rick Mason, story editor
Katie Hanley and audioman John Darrock.
Beth Gordon, who originally sent the
letter to the show, said her husband has
Village rnill rate
up 6.5per ice4t.
in 1986 budget
By Alan Rivett'
The general residential rate will go up. an
average of $14.10 on an average assess-
ment of $14,000 as the Lucknow 1986
budget was passed at the council meeting
on July 8,
The general residential mill rate has
jumped 6.5 per cent from 14,952 in 1985 to
15.952 this year. The commercial rate will
also increase by 6.$ per cent from 17.590 to
18.767 in 1986. The county rates have also .
been raised by 3.4 per cent, with the
residential rate going from 4,898 to 5.063
and the commercial rate going from 5.763
to 5.956.
The budget was originally slated to be
passed at the June meeting of Lucknow
council, but was rejected in order to
increase the general rate from three-quart-
ers of a mill to one mill, The reason cited
for the increase was a number of capital
projects which were budgeted for this year.
Two special projects were included in the
1986 budget, said Clerk -Treasurer Bertha
Whitcroft. Repairs to the town hall base-
ment for $36,600 were included as well as
$20,284 for the repairs to the Medical
Centre roof, However 75 per cent of the
cost of the Medical Centre will be
recovered from the other three inunicipalit-
ies which support the centre.
The biggest increase in the mill rate will
be felt by public school "supporters as the
*Turn to page 6
been an avid fan of tractor pulls for the past
four years. Her thrill would be to see her
husband drive one of the tractors.
Received reply
"I wrote a letter to the show on June 12
which said it would be my thrill of a
lifetime to see my husband drive in the •
tractor pull. I knew this would be his "thrill
of a life time". On July 4, 1 received a
reply and they said "get - him down to
Lucknow the best way you can," said Mrs.
Gordon in an interview with the Sentinel
prior to the big event.
Was she apprehensive about her hus-
band driving one of the huge, turbo -pow-
ered tractors? Not at all.• "He drives
18 -wheelers. He's used to it," she said.
What did Mr. Gordon think about his
wife making his "thrill of a lifetime" into
reality? "My wife said she was going to do
it one day, but I didn't believe her," he
said. • .
After a short lesson on the operation of
the Ghost Buster by. -owner Art Helm of
Lucknow, Mr. Gordon, outfitted in a
complete fire suit, headed 6ut onto the
track to fulfill his "thrill of a lifetime".
After one false start, he shot up the track
with cameraman Rick Mason riding in a
special booth mounted on the weight
machine, At the finish, he had gone a total
of 241 feet 6 inches.
Back at the pit area, Mr, Gordon said his
first attempt was unsuccessful as he didn't
have the RPM's high enough in order for
the tractor to have maximum pulling
power. •'
"Coming •out of the hole, 1 didn't have
the RPM's up1 didn't want to hurt it,
Going in old turkey you don't want to
wreck a guy's machine. I thought 1 had
done something wrong until Art (Helm)
came out and told me what to do," said
•Turn to page 2
1
• Airplane scam
•
KinearclIne Police are currently in-
vestigating "Airplane" scams in this
area. For a story on these operations •
SEE PAGE 3.
Tractor pull
The Lucknow Tractor Pull had another
,successful, event with area tractor
pullers doing their, share of winning.
For the resitits.i.SEE PAGE 2.
Charges laid
Kincardine Police have charged three
people in connection with the rash of
breakapins in the Lucknow area. For this •
and other local "pollee beat" Items...
SEE PAGE •6.
•
Correction ,
• Sorry folks, but we goofed on our
original goof. It was a member of the
Kinettes donating the $500 cheque to
the arena fund raising chairman, not the
Lions Ladies (Lioness]. The Sentinel
regrets these errors.