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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1975-02-27, Page 1e,►n t s Weather 1975` HI 10 FEBRUARY 18 35 31 19 31 28 20 32 24 21, 38 14 22 43 30 23 39 34 24 38 33 Rain 1.53" Snow 51/2" Thursday, February 27, :1975 110th Year -No. 9 • 1974 HI 1.0 30 7 38 29 33 23 38 22 45 \-'30 31 14 17 7, Snow 3" Rain 1.97" a Business,uen seek FO.�'iT graiu The Clinton Retail Merchants' eome up with an initial design of iihatthey want to do and how it should be done, preferably before June. He said that only the store fronts that are painted now should be touched, and all the natural brick facades•should be left as is. Councillor Burt Lobb was present. and said he would see what help the town council could be. He said it would be a real Association decided• at their meeting la week to seek an Opportunities For youth Grant from the Federal ,Government. to help restore the business section of Clinton. The merchants decided to apply•to•OFY after they heard. a presentation from Nick Hill of the . Huron County Planning department who outlined the OFY improvement for the downtown, especially restoration project that spruced up the with Centennial coming up. Goderich core area last summer. An action committee or steering com- The project would be financed by the mittee was set up and includes Lawrie Federal government, who would kick in a Slade, Al Mothers, Des Cassidy and Bert certain amount of money to be used to pay Lobb. They will look into setting up a students, while the merchants would put in consultingcommittee consisting of a a similar amount for extra labor and photographer, a draftsman and several materials. Mr. Hill said that the merchants must artists to do an overall plan. Seniors seek funds for centre BY CHRIS ZDEB Aommittee of seven persons, trying to 41.9quire funds for a senior citizens' centre O. -Clinton, waited almost two hours • to meet with a representative of the Department of Health and Welfare's "New Horizons" program, who failed to show. Michael Barkwell, who was to meet with local citizens last Tuesday morningt to to iscuss the possibility of getting a grant . uild a centre, was unaware that he had a meeting scheduled in Clinton, Huron County Development Officer Spence Cummings said. Senior Citizens' ,Golden Radar President, Mrs. Leona Walker, treasurer Mrs. Florence Routron, acting secretary Mrs. Art Groves, entertainment chairman Wat T Webster, Clinton councillor Ernie Brown, Kinsmen representative Doug Norman, and former councillor, Jim Armstrong assembled in the Town Hall to talk with Mr. Barkwell. "It was a mistake made between him and myself," said Mr. Cummings. "We • had arranged the meeting but Mr. Bark - well thought I was supposed to call him to confirm it. On my part, I didn't think I had to. "Mr. Barkwell was very sorry about the mix-up and would have cancelled the other meeting to come to Clinton if I had phoned sooner," Mr. Cummings said. There are a possible 600 Clintonians over the age of 60 who could make use of the proposed Centre. At the present they have no meeting place of their own. Mr. Armstrong said the group would like a drop-in centre where senior citizens could meet for coffee, cards or a game of darts. "They've been meeting in the Town Hall but it's so cold, bare and austere. What we want is a nice large place where you can feel at home," Mr. Armstrong said. The ideal site for the centre would be across -from the Post Office, because most senior citizens pick up their mail at least once a day and could drop in to the centre before returning home. "All you can do now is walk uptown, pick up your mail, turn around and go home Constable resigns Clinton force again," Mr. Armstrong said. He estimated a Centre, 30 feet by 40 feet would cost $25,000, at $20 a square foot; Clinton is prepared to donate the land for the centre. The group had originally thought o, meeting in the various churches, "bt Presbyterians won't go to a United Church. and Catholics won't go to a church the' they don't attend," Mr. Armstrong said. 1 ' Mr. Cummings has arranged anothe meeting with Mr. Barkwell to take place Al. 10 a.m. on Friday, February 28. It , i. rumoured that some of the citizens wiip met at the Hall on Tuesday will come to Friday's meeting prepared with a lunch i1 case of a repeat of Tuesday's perfortnanCC-. ft, Fire levels area cottage BY CHRIS ZDEB One cottage was totally destroyed and the interior of another was badly gutted in a fire at Elliott's Grove, three miles north of Bayfield, on Saturday evening, February 22. Former Clinton resident Reg. Ball, now of Goderich, lost his cottage and all its furnishings in the fire which began at 9 'p.m. and burned for three hours. Mr. Ball, who was insulating the cottage's attic when the fire broke out, said he smelled smoke and went down to investigate. "The cottage was just starting to burn, but I couldn't see anything because it ,was so smokey," Mr. Ball said. If he had discovered the fire later than he did, he might have been trapped inside the burning ' building, Mr. Bali said. When he could not get to his phone, Mr. Ball got out of the cottage and drove to a • Clinton Constable Doug Rielly has ariesigned the force to take up a better '►ying job , With "the Peel Regional Police Force, Police Commission chairman Mayor Don Symonds said Tuesday. Constable Rielly, whose resignation becomes effective tomorrow night, joined the Clinton force in March of 1974 and had been on a training course at the Police College in Aylmer during January and February of this year. Mayor Symons said he was sorry to see --Constable Rielly leave the force, but the Peel force pays more than Clinton can afford. —"We're going to have to look into the possibilities of signing cadets to a contract in the future," Mayor Symons said, "so that when we pay for their training, they're obligated to stay with us for a certain set period." Mayor Symons said the police com- mission would be considering a • replacement at their meeting. By Jimritzgerald P neighbour's house, a half -mile away to call the Bayfield Fire Department. "Half of the roof had burned off by the time we got there, Bayfield Fire Chief, Reg Francis said. 0 Fire. officials have not determined the cause of the fire, "but we think a spark from the fireplace started it,"_ Chief Francis said. .Damage to , the two cottages has been roughly estimated at $20,000. The Bayfield Fire Department was at the fire until midnight. An .east wind spread the fire 'to a cottage standing 10 feet away and heavily damaged the inside. Mrs. Bessie Falconer. of Brucefield, the owner of the second cottage, was away at the time of the fire. The Goderich and Clinton Fire Depar- tments were called on standby, and both sent their tankers to the fire. C receive tax rebate The Clinton Public Utilities Commission could be eligible for a rebate of almost $13,000 in wrongly -collected provincial sales tax as the result of a recent ruling, General Manager Guss J3oassey told commissioners last week. The amount represents sales tax collected since 1961 on materials and equipment for capital works such as wire, i n transformers, water pumps, equipment, sewage material and items for permanent construction. Mr. Boassey said that at a recent sales tax seminar held in Toronto, it was learned that the sales tax branch of the provinical government had been challenged by the Association of Municipal Electrical Utilities on collection of the tax for the capital works and that the province had decision. Clinton PUC has paid lost on a $12,739 taxes on the disputed items since the sales tax was initiated. Mr. Boassey points out that the four percent simple interest allowable is not included in the $12,739. Chairman John Wise wondered whether there was a statute of limitations on seeking of the rebate, but Mr _Boassey said We're on the job after taking last " week off with the Asian flu, and • we wouldn't wish that flu ' on anybody. I thought for a couple of days last week of writing my own obituary, but things are looking a little rosier now. , _ aour:sudden4al a down --to—tire- Ontario Weekly ,__ ewspaper wAssociation'sae empty-handed, winnon in ing no we came P awards this year. back -I- While down in the big city, wnoticeda Toronto theatre was playing "Ear- thquake"and The show was bTowering el e'on d as the same program. as "Shake and Bake." -i- + -{- We had a call from Betty Cardno of the Huron County Health Unit saying that there has been some interest shown in Clinton for a Meals On Wheelg" program, which daily delivers food trays to in- capacitated. persons. They need lots of volunteersr i1n March.Keep an to discuss the project will and held later eye on this column for further details. -{--1-+ We still have lots of tickets here at the News -Record for at B o dfoot's "Take A Beaver toLunch" Hurry though, they're going fast. +++ he was aware 01 none. He said the A.M.E.U. had advised Public Utilities to apply for the full amount and that forms for the application had been provided by the Sales Tax Branch. Strike cuts mail The mail strike at Toronto 'has cut Clinton's in -coming mail by about 50 percent, and its out -going mail by about 10 percent, said Post Master Dick Dixon last Tuesday. "The mail is being dispatched to all places except Toronto," he said. "Toronto bound mail will probably be intercepted and held in Stratford until the strike is settled hetween the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Federal treasury hoard." Huron County residents however, will receive their welfare and pension cheques. A 36 -hour truce between the PSAC and the government, which ended at noon Wed- nesday, allowed Toronto postal workers to send on these and other social security benefits cheques. Nothia but ashes All that's left of the Reg Ball cottage at Elliott's Grove is a pile of ashes and burned wreckage after a fire last Saturday night completely destroyed Falconer cBrucefield c wacottagee lso heavily owned by Bessiealconer Cable _ l�Y CHRIS_ZDEB xni s he said, and that local signals from damaged. Mr. Ball was insulating the attic of the cottage when he noticed the smoke, and firemen from Bayfield said the structure was engulfed in flames when they arrived. (News - Record photo) increase protested at hearing -The Canadian Radio -Television Com mission (CRTC) has reserved a decision on the Bluewater TV Cable Ltd's request for a $1 -a -month increase to $6, until technicians of the" Department of Transport have in- vestigated the quality of the cable com- pany's transmitting equipment. Art Coombs of RR 5 Clinton, who heads the Consumers Alert Committee, told the Commission at a Tuesday hearing in Toronto, that the rate increase should be denied because of the poor quality of service p'ovided by Bluewater. Picture images are disfigured by "flickering windshield wiper and venetian blind effects" Mr. Coombs, a former electronics instructor said. Bluewater has good equipment capable of bringing in all stations clearly, Mr. Coombs said, "but the equipment is not properly attended to or adjusted." Mr. Coombs appeared before the Commission aimed with 87 letters of complaint that he had obtained through an ad run in the Clinton News -Record and the Goderich Signal -Star. Bluewater was represented at the hearing by Bruce Davey who said that the cable company was using the best equipment. Problems arise in transmitting signals pulled in from a distance of over 110 London, Kitchener and Wingham were very good. Mr. Coombs said that Bluewater's own Channel 12 was the worst station he was receiving, with Channel 11 following at a close second. Bluewater has serviced the Clinton- Goderich area since February 1973 and has connected 70 percent of the 2,700 households, Mr. Davey said. The rate increase is necessary • Bluewater claims because of inflation, to accommodate cable expansion for the area and to upgrade community programming. Mr. Coombs said that the studio equipment for community programming has only been available for the last two weeks. Mr. Coombs said he found the Com- mission to be sympathetic to his cause and was pleased with the hearing. He said he did not know when .the Commission would come to a decision on the rate increase. Clinton has 50 boys who need -i- The News -Record has a second year Univ'elrsity of Western Ontario journalism student down for a week on an intern program, so you're likely to see, a lot of Chris Zdeb in this week's paper. A sheepish crew A real rarity hrppened at the Greg 'Brandon farm in Hullett Township last week, when, for the second year in a row, the same ewe gave birth to a set of quadruplets, Here Lori Bran- 1 . • don, 5, with the yelp of her father Greg, holds the four youngsters for the canterantan. (News -Record photo) By Chris Zdeb There are 50 boys in t follow in their father's footsteps, becauwho se these boys; aged 6-16, are fatherless. However, Cathy Cruickshank, a Big Brother organizer is setting out to remedy • the situation. Miss C>ppickshank and 10 oth er n members are organizing ami aimed at the Goderich area to attract people who are interested in starting a Big Brothers branch in their locale. "When we first started planning the campaign a month ago, we had decided to cover all of Huron County," Miss Cruickshank said. "We found that it was too big of an area to cover, so we're con- centrating on Goderich and the surroun- ding district." It would be hard to get people to gather from all over the county, so people who heir asked to public meeting of Big Brothers on March own agency are , .,:,�,. ti�tiym ...,., , gig.., ett;-qV a✓t- � . the uled ate to get in uc wi - Children's Md, Cen re In`".._e Cruickshank s�ia: _ �� Greg evening at* • Big Brothers, a non-profit organization ed Goderich 524-777gwrence any g which depends on donations, is supported "A campaign office will be set up in by the United Appeal in bigger centres. The campaign will be launched from Cinfinton in ormation onaw 11 becouple able them' Miss more Goderich and will involve a poster cam- Cruickshank said. paign, with members of Big Brothers going fatherless Big Brothers d out to speak to community service groups, Miss Cruickshank said. "We've been getting a great response, and Dominion Roads of Goderich has even offered to campaign for us within their own company of 700 men," she said. To be a Big Brother, you must be male, over 18, and willing to spend three or four hours a week with a fatherless boy. "On the national level, most Big Brothers are young, married men," Miss Cruickshank said: "but in this area we're getting inquiries from young, single men. Big Brothers carry out an ext ive screening • process of an applicant fore matching him with a little Brother. ery few group activities are arranged, the emphasis resting on a" one-to-one relationship, Miss Cruickshank said. Most relationships last for two years. Interested persons are asked to attend a • Separate board from increased Assessment figures tabled at the Huron Perth Roman Catholic Separate School . board meeting in Seaforth, Monday night showed assessment ' for 1975 taxes for • separate school purposes up from last year in all but four Huron Perth municipalities. The total increase was $564,711 over the two counties. The biggest dollar increase (per capita figures were not given) was in Stratford, the largest municipality Fuliarton and Logan townships and the town of Exeter also showed healthy dollar increases of above $30,000. In Seaforth the assessment for separate - school purposes was up $27,513 followed by Tuckersmith at $26,025. The Goderich assessment increased only by $9,303. Clinton by $15,675 and Zurich by $9,415. W Ingham was up $6,355. 7 gains more assessment Hibbert township's assessment in- - creased' by $1,685 while McKillop's was up $16,055. In Grey township, the assessment for •• • separate school purposes rose $5,470 for a total assessment of $124,135. Dublin trustee, Francis Hicknell commented that the assessment in Grey is away up from 1969 when the board was formed. The assessment in Brussels is $6,080, all residential. There was no.,_cesidential assessment in Brussels in 1973 for^"geparate school support. A North Easthope in Perth county and Bayfield, Usborne and West.Wawat[osh in Huron are the four minicipalities that have had a decrease in assessment for separate school support.