The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutClinton News-Record, 1975-07-31, Page 16• NN'911:'tlY'MM!'MM'4n'4#1r*.M'A'.es.!'4t �4`"!w fi.Yr, +9. qT '4. 'O '^M` IL.*.'y..' and down ... csn ride co Ontaro Provincial boat in choppy water is a limbi ger''cheese. t butter and spinach •ch berme it can be a sickening experience, this landlubber of a last Friday's cruise on rolling waters of Lake turned .out ' to be just over an hour this writer n the boat quite green, and aly by continually swallowing and lathing in great gulps of fresh air was 1 able to fight down the urge of displaying the remail .s of dinner all over the Carpeted deck of the water ft. But between trying to e the five feet swells that kept tossing the 18 -foot Star- t Holiday V; and trying to o a queasy stamacb„ this writer did manage to grasp a fair understanding of, the operation of the OPP's marine tachmen The Holiday V, which is powered by a 115 horsepower b outboard Volvo motor, is one -of three boats that the OPP operate out, of Owen Smut Toberino 'y and Mount orest The Moat out of Mount Forest patrols an area that stretches from Grand Bend to Southampton and, spans six counties. Last Saturday it began a four day .patrol of the lakeshore extending from. St. Joseph through Bayfield to Clark Point under the seamanship of Police Constable Charles Venthazn. Constable Ventharn is one of four Mount Forest OPP office s who operate the boat. When they come to petrol the Bayfield waters of Lake Huron, the Mount Forest officers take aboard a.Goderich counterpart who is familiar with the area. For this trip, Constable Harold Green was taken along for the ride, The marine detachment was formed six years ago in response to public demand, Sergeant Ventham said. . "Before the OPP came to own its own boats, when people would phone the detachment to complain of boating distur- ' bances on the lake, the officers who responded to the call had to rent boats to handle the oc- currences." The detachment enforces the regulations that refer to small vessels in the Canada Shipping Act and to "the, parts of the Canada Criminal Code that V' pertain to violations on water. The most common offence the policemen come across in their patrol of pleasure craft, (canoes through to 65 foot vessels), is the absence of life jackets that are approved by the Department of transport, "The law sass that- for each person riding in the boat there must be a Department of Transport approved life preserver," Constable Ver- nham said. "But a lot of people buy lifejackets that don't fulfill this requirement and it's because they don't know that It is a requirement." And still, quite a few people won't bother, getting the proper boating equipment out because they think the OPP only patrol Lake Huron on the weekends. "We'd poll up to people who greet us with Ohl You guys only patrol on the weekends what are you doing here?"' Constable Ventham said. Besides the lack of proper boating equipment, impaired driving or boat handling; the dangerous, operation of a vessel'; the absence of an ob- server in the boat for water- skiers, and alcohol found on board are also frequent of- South f feces committed by borders. "H your boat also serer as, your home, you won't ' be charged ter caring alcohol but if you're just using your watercraft for sport and you're found with liquor you will be charged just as if y014 were discovered with having liquor in your car," Constable Ven - them said. He added that most boaters are warned on first offences before they are charged. The maximum fine that can be levied on a water violation is $500 or six months in jail or both. But in the five.years that he's been part of the marine detach- me.nt, Constable Ventharn has found that people are becoming more conscious of boating regulations. Part of that. awareness has come about through the OPP boat patrol. The OPP boat is placed in the water on the May 24 weeken+ and is brought out on the Thanksgiving weekend. The, peak boating periods are July and August and again indate° September and 'early October' when fishing boats appear -on the lake. All this is quite a aifferen>ce from the patrol's f first year of operation which was limited to weekends and total boating hours carne to 'less than 100 hours. Although' equipped to patrol at night, the boat spends Ma of its tirne in the water during daylight hours. Pers, if last Friday's boat ride had taken place under the cover of darkness and the writer had been unable to see the pitching of the water and perhaps if the writer had taken along the Gravel that she was advised to arm herself with prior to the trip the writer would have been left with a more pleasant memory cif this boating experience. As happened though, she now knows that if she ever decides to join the Armed Forces she'll steer well clear of its naval branch. stories and photos 6y Chris lLIeb South Shore Marina In Bayfield looms ahead as OPP Constable Charles Ventham navigates tate OPP's Holiday V back to shore after a choppy boat ride riot on Lake Huron. 4, f OPP .o OPP Constab tholes Id 'fit (fel)' eillvtigf for leave B kewaters. eId' Share Mem 4 r.o y.1.. old With a last • snap Gederich. OPP Const3le old Green completes preparations of the OPP patrol boat before she is launched hitti the Twirling anc"spinning make debut here WANTED: Girls aged 3-16. Must be able to keep smiling. if you fit that description and requirement, or know of someone who .does, show up for registration at the town hall on September 6 and 13 between 9 and 1 ' in the morning. Once you put down your $5 fee you become a recognized Twirlette. Fine and dandy you say, but what on earth is a Twirlette? A Twirlette. or more properly. a Clinton Marching Twirlette will be one of 5 inajofi ttes who. If all gas well, eventually will march along with the Clinton Band. The project has-been undertaken by ii, year-old Lori Biggin of Clinton who has been twirling a baton since she was 6. "A lot of ,people have shown an interest in starting a majorette corps here." she staid, and I already have eight people who have more or less promised to register - their children.' h ir- children.' She hopes '5 pupils will be attracted to her classes which will run every Tuesday evening. , -8:30. from Sep- ten3ber to June. If it's suc- cessful. Lori said she could see. herself continuing ,the baton lessons over several years. Prior to corning to Clinton seven years ago. Lori was a member of the Wingham Debutantes. She was chosen Debutante Queen Of .19.3. and in 19 •# won the title of the Tri• County Baton Queen Lust year. Lori earned her gold medal, the third highest standing a majorette can :trhievc nY her career In the fall she will enter Grade 1 ' a at' Central Huron, 'Secondary gchool and hopes to become a lawyer one day -- keeping her twirling as a side line of cotarse. Although she expects girls to show the greatest interest in her venture. Lori ' said boys as:erg.• also welcome to register for the lessons. For Lori. the ciasses•will fill a void that was left in her life when she moved from W ingliam and found no majorette corps in Clinton to become involved M. For the students. the classes win 'instill poise, and' self-confidence to themselves. Lori said. rente. mbar how clumsy 1 was when baton tt) move lessons more As to majorette was young and rea helped me Ily gracefully. succeeding .'All • as a you really need is a big smile.- she said. Bill Crawford of the 'Recreation Committee is helping Lori to get -organized at the moment; but eventually she hopes a committee of in- terested individuals will step ' forward to help in the management of the Clinton Marching Twirlettes. �a,