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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1977-03-31, Page 1.l� Clinton, Ontario Clinton N -ws- 'hursd'ay, March 31,1977 23 cents 12h Year .No. MARCH 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Je8Ihere 1977 1976 HI LQ 35 27 41 17 22 13 28 12 33 16 60 32 54 43 Rain .30 Snow 2" HI 10 29 17 50 26I 64 37( 58 40 6 65 361 57 29 9 38290 Rain 5.5't* • .Grandstand unsa 165,000 to repair By Jim Fitzgerald The future of harness racing at the Clinton Kinsmen Raceway was placed in jeopardy last week, and the ability of the Huron Central Agricultural Society to stage their spring Fair was also en- dangered when the grandstand at the Community Park was condemned. In a letter received from the Ontario Racing Commission, the Kinsmen and the Ag Society were told that racing won't be allowed at Clinton unless ex- tensive repairs are carried out on the grandstand before the racing season starts on June 26. In a letter from Racing Commission chairman Charles S. MacNaughton, the two groups in Clinton learned that they won't get a license to race until "remedial work has to be completed to the satisfaction of the consultant or assurances .... given by the management of the race tracks to the commission that the unsafe facilities *will not be utilized." The Clinton grandstand was one of seven deemed unsafe by the Racing 4 Commission who hired the private engineering firm of Morrison, Her- shfield, Burgess, and Huggins Ltd. of Toronto last fall to inspect alr the grandstand racing under the ORC's jurisdiction. Clinton was the hardest hit of the seven tracks,. with other tracks at 4RGoderich, Elmira, Hanover, Woodstock, Owen Sound, and Belleville having to 401 make structural improvements, most of them minor. The G.oderich track faces a $100,000 repair bill to its grandstand, while' the engineers estimate it would cost $165,000 to bring the Clinton grandstand back to building code standards. The engineers also said that there were two other alternatives for Clinton as well. They said . that the roof could be removed and the grandstand reinforced 111 at a cost of about $32,000, or a entire new grandstand could be built, but they gave no estimate. Basically, the faults found by the engineers were decayed roof boards, lack of reinforcement for all the main roof trusses, lack of reinforcement for the columns which support the roof, decayed bracing members, lack of adequate support for the trusses and columns supporting the seats, and poor column base connections. The grandstand was originally built about 1945, and the roof was added in the early 1950's. - The engineers, according to their report, inspected . the grandstand on September 8, 1976 for the Ontario inistry of consumer and commercial elations, who look after the Ontario Racing Commission. A second inspection was carried out on 1 sl (oluiiiii. November 24 and 25, and the engineers report was submitted to the ministry on February 4, 1977. Fair Board members and raceway officials didn't learn of the condemnation however, until March 19, by letter. Paul Kerrigan, president of the local Kinsmen, who operate the Raceway, said ,.that he couldn't understand why the government and the Racing Commission sat on the report so long. - "I can't understand why it took from November until late March before they told us the grandstand was no good," Kerrigan said. "It's really presenting a problem for us: should we race this year or not? If we race without a grandstand, the crowds will be down because of the lack of proper seating, and if we give up the 14 dates, we may never ' race again," Kerrigan said. On questioning by the News -Record, Kerrigan said the economic loss to the town with the raceway closure would be severe. Kerrigan revealed that last year alone, the raceway itself paid out $64,000 in purses and $26,000 in wages from their gross revenue of $161,000, not including other goods and services purchased in and around Clinton. Since the raceway was started seven years ago, the Kinsmen have put $73,305 of their profits back into capital im- provement in the Clinton Park, plus they have donated another $35,000 to other projects such as the Clinton Con- servation area, minor sports, 'Save the Hospital Fund', and Heather Gardens. Donna Gibbings, treasurer of the Kinettes, said the -group has >i4so plowed - most of their profits from their raceway booth, about $30,000, back into the community, including trees for the main street, playground equipment, ex- pensive equipment for Huronview, and backed other clubs, such as the Cen- tennial Band, the Figure- Skating Club, and the Clinton Hospital. At their meeting last Thursday night, Clinton Town council said they were 100 (continued,on page 3) By Jim Fitzgerald There has been a great deal of discussion in Clinton and indeed, the surrounding area, about the sudden condemnation last week of our grand- stand, and the threat the loss will have on our community. Becatkse the story and our opinion on the subject are well documented elsewhere in this edition, all we can add is: give the town all the support you can muster. It's really too bad t at the engineer's report condemning the old grandstand didn't arrive until tomorrow, and then we could take it as one big joke from the • government. Tomorrow is April Fool's day, and we can't think of a nicer joke to have played on us. +++ Our news and feature writer and sometimes pain in the ...side, Chris ,deb, is leaving fo` greener pastures. hris, who by now is well-known to many other antagonists in town, is moving up to the Durham "Chronicle" where she will assume the news editor's position, and hopefully become editor. Gee, now who will we get to yell,pt in the News- ., 41! Record newsroom? +++ "Do you remember when money used to talk, " goes a new joke, "then came inflation and it started to whisper, and now it just quietly sneaks off." -4-++ - We're hoping that the nice weather holds for another few days, and we can ,get out and sneak some spinach and Ail buteh sets into' the garden. You never know, we might get an early spring. We certainly deserve it. e, new one t a ,7 !sem ssz" 'A. The Ontario Racing Commission won't allow harness racing at Clinton this summer, unless up to $165,000 is spent on the old grandstand, which an engineer's report says is unsafe. Many of the supports have deteriorated, and the roof is in danger of falling in. The structure was built in 1945, and the roof was added in 1952. It seats about 600. (News -Record photo) .4: Mig This is what the new grandstand, proposed for construction at Clinton, would look like. The above picture was taken at Leamington, and the identical plans could be used in Clinton. The new grandstand would hold 1,200 people, double the capacity of the old wooden structure, and will feature a covered area un- derneath. The new stand would be located 30 feet north of the present judges' stand. Cost is estimated at $250,000. CHSS students narrowly miss death A group of Central Huron Secondary School students narrowly escaped possible injury or death at Las Palmas, Canary Islands where a terrorist bomb exploded in an airport,„ baggage area Sunday. The 27 CRSS students had just cleared the baggage area when the bomb ex- ploded, injuring eight persons. The explosion caused the diversion of several aircraft to nearby Santa Cruz de Tenerife as Las Palmas airport security checked for another bomb. Two diverted jumbo jets collided on the ground at Tenerife Sunday, killing 575 passengers, the worst aviation disaster in history. CHSS geography teacher Bob Mann said the group of students heard the bomb go off but did not see anything. "We had been in that area a few minutes before the bomb and were waiting in the (adjoining) lounge for a return flight to Canada when the bomb exploded," he said. A security guard ordered the group outside the lounge and they were boarding U.S. based Capital Airlines DC - 8 home minutes after the explosion. Mann said there was no panic in the lounge and the students were not visibly shaken as they boarded the plane. Immediately after the bomb ex- plosion, airport security received a call Hospital set for year The Clinton Public Hospital board elected five new directors for two-year terms Monday night; more than a year after the Ministry of Health announced the institution would be closed. Beecher Menzies was elected the new chairman, replacing Art Aiken, with Leen Rehorst elected vice chairrhan and hospital administrator Doug Coventry being re-elected•secretar.y-treasures. her Mpnz es • Mrs. Joseph Murphy, Mr. Robert Campbell, Mr. William Counter, Mrs. Charlotte Norman' and Mrs. Margaret Lawson were re-elected board directors. A small crowd of 15 people attended the annual. board meeting that attracted 3' last year, when former Health Minister Frank Miller announced the Clinton hospital would be closed along with three others to cut health costs in the province. The health ministry's decision to close the hospitals was over -turned last spring, but the province is set to appeal the court ruling on May 2nd. Hospital administrator Doug Coventry described 1976 as the Most difficult period in the hospital's history but ex- pressed great hopes for its future. The -administrator said cutbacks were made in all hospital departments with the result that operating costs were slightly lower than the provincial average. With the help of the Hospital's ladies' auxiliary, expenditures were limited to only necessary equipment. The excess of expenditure over revenue was only $11, compared to $1,600 in 1975. Dr. R.W. Street, head of the medical staff, reported the staff morale remains high and hopeful that the hospital will remain open, with patient care last y ar quailing if not surpassing hospital a 3 e i 1975. . • Alth ugh staff cutbacks occurred in hduselleeping,, dietary and medical records, the medical staff has remained at 19, he said. - d - that another bomb was set to go which is said to have triggered decision to divert the aircraft Tenerife. A left wing group seeking dependence from Spain for the Canary Islands is credited fdr the bombing and Antonio Cubilla, leader of the group said in Algeria that Spanish authorities are to blame for the collision of the two 747 Jumbo jets because they were diverted there. Mann said the group had seen signs of "certain elements wanting to secede from Spain in slogans painted on the walls of several buildings, but there was no run-in with the dissenters on the trip until the airport incident. The group did not learn of the Tenerife crash until the flight stopped to refuel at Gander, Newfoundland- The Clinton and area students were part of 230 Ontario students who were on a school break study tour organized by the Upper Canada Studies' Society. The Canary Islands are an ar- chipelago of seven islands in the Atlantic Ocean, about 100 miles off the coast of Morocco. CHSS principal Bob'Homuth said he received a number of phone calls from anxious parents last Sunday,' who had heard of the airport explosion and feared the Clinton group might have been hurt. The Huron students, mostly from Grades 11 to 13, arrived home about 9:30 p.m. Sunday night. off; the to in- Clinton woman gets appointment be built $250,000 for new stand • By Jim Fitzgerald Working at lightning -fast speed, with only three months lead time, Clinton hopes to have new grandstand erected in time for the opening of the Clinton Raceway on June 26. In a special emergency meeting between town council, the agricultural society, and the Kinsmen race com- mittee, Tuesday night, it was decided to go ahead and see abouttearing down the old grandstand and having a new one erected in" time for the summer race meet. There is not enough time however, to have it ready for the Spring Fair on June 3, 5 and 5, --but the fair could use tem- porary bleachers for the horse shows. The cost of the new grandstand would be $250,000, but the meeting decided that they would not have to use any tax- payers' money, nor would they have to have a canvass of- the community for funds. Except for the steel erection, the grandstand would be built by local contractors and volunteer labor. The three hour meeting, attended by 20 people, including five town council members, four Fair Board members and the Kinsmen from the race com- mittee, agreed that speed was of the essence. Also present was Michael Goddard of Twin Locks Iron Works of Niagara Falls, who brought approved plans and specifications for the grandstand. Twin Locks specializes in grand- stands, and recently built steel stands in Leamington and Paris that passed recent government inspections with flying colors. Mr. Goddard guaranteed that the new grandstand would be ready for use by the first race day, June 26, if he had an order for steel by the end of this week. Otherwise, even a week's delay would push the completion date back to July. As a result of Tuesday night's decision, another meeting with full town council, the complete Kinsmen Club, and the Fair board, along with the town's engineers B. M. Ross, was scheduled for last night, Wednesday, but because the News -Record is printed on Wednesday afternoon, no details are available from ,the meeting. At the, Tuesday night meeting, ten- tative plans called for Twin Locks to get the structural steel fabrication and erection contract at a cost of $145,000, with the remaining $95,000 in work to be done by local contractors and volunteer labor. The new enclosed grandstand, 150 feet long by 40 feet wide, would be about 30 feet north of the present judges' stand, and would seat 1,200 people, double the capacity of the old grandstand, built in 1945. The new stand would include a covered betting area, complete judges' Effective April 4 Mary Gregg will be joining the staff of the Huron County Social Services Department. Miss Gregg's appointment was approved by County Council at its March session held last Thursday. Miss Greg is replacing Mrs. Cherly Smith who resigned recently as a Social Services Field Worker. Council also approved a Social Ser- vices committee recommendations for an increase in rates paid workers. In - town workers will be raised from the 1976 level of $3.40 per hour 'to $3.65 and out-of-town workers will get a raise from $3.76 to $3.95 subject to final approval of the Ministery -of Community and Social Services. '. stand, photo finish room, and would be set back 30 feet from the present track. The old grandstand would be torn down, but the present mutuel building, erected six years ago, would be in- corporated into the new structure. - The covered mutuel area could also be used by the farmer's market, as an auction_room, and for other community functions, as well as providing adequate storage space. It was unanimously decided that the other option open to the town - spending $165,000 on repairs to the old grandstand -wasn't worth it. Mayor Harold Lobb said he couldn't see spending that much money on a new grandstand, unless the Kinsmen con tinue to race at the track. Although the final figures haven't been worked out completely, most agreed the new facility would . cost the taxpayers nothing. The town would be eligible for a 25 per cent grant under the community centres act, a Wintario grant for about a third of the costs, an Ontario Racing Com- mission grant, an Agricultural Society's grant, with the Kinsmen picking up the remaining part of the tab, about $60,000. Several of the Kinsmen, town council members and Fair Board members toured the recently built grandstands at Leamington, Dresden and Wallaceburg last Sunday, and were impressed with the a new facilities. "It is very unfortunate that they (the government) sat on this report for seven months, and are giving us only three months to. come up with a new facility," Kinsmen president Paul Kerrigan said. "I can't understand it either," said raceway chairman Ron Jewitt. "These guys (the engineers) were up here and looked at the old grandstand in Sep- tember, and again in November, and then they don't tell us anything's wrong until nearly the end of March." "You'd almost think they didn't want us in the business," said Deputy -Reeve Frank Cook. Kerrigan said that in order to save money, the club would be asking club members and volunteers from the Clinton area to help with some of the new construction. No firm decision was made on who would tear down the old grandstand, but suggestions included getting the Men- nonites in on a work bee, or getting volunteer labor from the community. The meeting did support :a request, however, from Fair Board secretary Bob Gibbings, to give the Fair Board the lean-to roof behind the grandstand to the Fair Board, to be added to one of the barns. "Were giving away over $21,000 in prizes this year at the Fair," Gibbings said, "and that will attract a lot of extra livestock entries and we need covered space for them. - • . s PhV t tFt- 9. A warm ride With temperatures soaring to near 21 degrees C (70 degrees F) on Tuesday, summer-like conditions prevailed in Clinton and area. It was a perfect day for riding a bike on snow -free sidewalks again, as Shelly Reinhart, 5, of High Street discovered, It was the warmest day since. October 4. (News -Record photo)