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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1977-08-18, Page 1Clinton, Ontario Thursday, August18, 197 25 cents .112th Year No. 33 oat builder comingto By Wilma Oke Koma Boats of Komoka will be moving to Vanastra as soon as the red tape can be cleared away. The firm makes small pleasure boats and employs about 46. Tuckersmith Township Council at a meeting in Brucefield Tuesday night approved an amendment to its zoning by-law to pave the way for the purchase of the former Canadian Forces hospital 4 building by John Chapman, owner of the boat works,. The amendment changes the land use from commercial to in- dustrial. The Huron County Planning Bjrd and the Ontario Municipal Board must give final approval: Council will call a ratepayers' meeting to discuss the report made privately to council two weeks ago on the study made this summer on the fire protection needs in the township. The meeting will be held later in September as Donald Owens of the Ontario Fire Marshall's Office will Adinot be available to attend the meeting IIP before that time to explain his report. In answer to a second request from the Town of Seaforth for assistance from Tuckersmith in paying its share of the operating costs of running the Seaforth arena, based on the rate of usage by Tuckersmith residents in organized sports, council decided to give a donation of $500. Seaforth had asked for $1,238 based on 19 percent of /the operating deficit of $6,517.35 at the arena. A suggestion was made by Reeve Ervin Sillery that Tuckersmith might ask Seaforth for $1,000 for use of the Vanastra swimming pool by Seaforth 'residents. However, no action was taken on this suggestion at the meeting. A door at the Vanastra swimming pool damaged in a recent break-in when about $75 -was stolen, will be replaced by a steel covered 'door. The outside door,, will be replaced by a new steel cored door as well, as it is not considered eather 1977 1976 HI 10 H 10 August 9 78 50 78 50 10 80 61 78 48 11 75 57 84 58 12 72 50 .80 65 13 77 54 75 62 14 70 53 70 56 ,15 73 47 68 50 Rain .$1" Rain .96" sufficiently strong. Diane Durnin, caretaker for the recreation centre, who was at the meeting, said she had been quoted a cost of $150 for a steel covered door. Requests for the following building permits were approved! James Flanagan, Egmondville, carport; Arthur Haverkamp, RR 5 Clinton, poultry barn; Harry Arts, RR 4 Seaforth, addition to barn; Charles Wood, Egmondville, porch; Cor Van- denhoven, RR 4, Seaforth; pole barn and Walter Denys, RR 4, Kippen, granary. A request by Gerald Heyink, RR 2 Hensall, for a building permit for a new barn, liquid manure holding system and a furnace room, was held over for more information on location. Council approved a request for land severance from Leonard Jamieson of RR 2- Seaforth, for 3,5 acres of Lot 33, Concession 1. Thig will be subject to approval by the Huron County land (continued on page 3 More area for Credit Union The Clinton Community Credit Union received approval last week for several changes to their bylaws passed at a mid- July meeting that will extend their territory and an individual's borrowing limits. Clinton Legion band wins trophy , Most people in the Clinton area hae kialways known that the Clinton Legion pipe band .was one of the' best in the province, and last Saturday they proved 0 it at the annual Fergds Highland Games when they won first prize as the best Legion band at the games. For their efforts, they won a large Area boy makes Ontario soccer A Clinton boy will be playing 'on the Ontario pee wee soccer team this year, after being selected from thousands of boys, -at trials held last weekend. . - • Tony Gibbings; 14, son of Ken and Mary Gibbings of RR 4, Clinton, will join 17 other boys from across, the province who were picked forthe team. Toy was one of three Clinton lads who went down to Toronto to try out for the team, and he received word Tuesday night that he had been given the honor of playing on the team. The Ontario team will play teams from other provinces across Canada. Tony goes to his first 'practise session this Sunday in Toronto. 1 - 'Si , CO/ii in /1 by Jim Fitzgerald A soggy good , morning to all you readers out in swamp land! We've- had so much rain in this part of Ontario, that many farmers are going to need scuba gear to get their crops off. 4- -I- -I- And wouldn't Y'ou know it. Just when I took 'my last weekof holidays, to side the house, it rained almost everyday. A very *lamp job. We got a good part of the job 'done anyway anerd rather be sitting at the typewriter any day than standing on top of scaffolding 20 feet in the air. ▪ + Hopefully the rain has quit for a month or so, and won't -spoil any more holidays or crops. The Legion Pipe band tau are hoping that the rain will leave them alone Friday evening, as they will :parade from the Legion to the Town Hall, startitig a 7:30 p.m., to give a concert. The band, now, of championship calibre, las certainly been an asset to the town. •'Many won't notice, while many others will be upset, but starting next Sa'turday August 27, the post office will only be open from 10 a.m. to 12 noon on Satur- days, due mainly to the high cost of ,keeping staff on hand for such few early aik customers. The regional office in London wants to halt Saturday service W altogether in the rural. areas, but they may have a fight on their hands. ',Instead of bewailing the fact that we can't have all that we want," on of the newest sayings goes, "many of us should be thankful we don't get all wedeserve." • + • For the many readers in our coverage area who are cottage owners, the OPP are offering an interesting cottage security program in connection with the itayfield Ralepayers annual meeting this Saturday at 10 a.m. in the old town hall at the village, • + Growing up in the Elvis Presley era Certainly had a profound effect on millions of people, and yours truly is no exception, so we couldn't let his sudden passing go unmentioned. For those of us weaned on Presley's music, his death Win bring back many fond ,and not so • h fetid thertiotieg Of our, sometimes pailiful * teenage Yealt• • trophy and a cash award for beating ofher excellent Legion bands from Listowel, Orillia and Collingwood. This was the first year of the Legion bands competition. All the above mentioned bands are part of the massed pipe band that will represent Ontario in the Rose Bowl parade on January 2, to be seen on in- ternational television. Alsoin the massed band are units from Hanover, Kincardine, and Midland. John Wise of Clinton, a drummer with the local Legion band, said it was just a friendly competition between the bands, as they all consider themselves just one big family. The money the Clinton band received as a prize will go into a pot to finance the itttrip to, Cali forn la in Deeember The Clinton group, which is composed of seven drummers and eight pipers, has to raise $7,200 to make the trip, and the total cost to send the 150 -member mass band is estimated at over $52,000. In order to raise more money, the Clinton band is saving up all the money they can from their engagements, and hopes to raise additional funds from several other projects. One is a Caleidh, a sort of Scottish hospitality variety night to be held in the Clinton Legion sometime in September. The Caleidh (pronounced kalee) will feature different Scottish entertainment 'ranging from piping to the highland fling. The band and the Legion are also planning on a fund raising dance for sometime in November. The Ontario ministry of consumer and commercial relations gave approval last week to the bylaws which will-e-xtend the Credit Union's territory to include nearly all of Huron County except the townships north of Blyth. Previously, the Clinton Credit Union was limited to taking customers from within a 12 -mile radius of town. The general meeting also approved boosting the maximum personal loan to a $12,000 from $10,000 and increased the first mortgage loan limit to $30,000 from, $20,000, Also approved was a provision to allow the directors to pay the yearly dividend to their 6,500 members as soon after the year ends on September 30 as possible, which will mean members will earn interest on their dividends immediately, instead of waiting up to two months until the payment i? approved by the g.ieral meeting held in mid-November. Fred -Gibson, manager, said that the Credit Union"s assets have jumped nearly $3,000,000 so far this year, hitting $13,250,000 as of the end of July. He also said that the boundary Was enlarged to take in a growing mem- . botstip,in the Exeter -area. esirz=4''' Flames hit house Several thousand dollars in damage was caused to the home of Steve Wilkinson on Huron Street in Clinton Saturday evening when fire broke out in an upstairs bedroom. Some confusion arose when the fire was discovered, and furniture from the house was moved onto the street before the fire department arrived to quickly extinguish the flames. The ... Wilkinsons were away at lfie time, and the fire was discovered by their babysitter. The Clinton brigade was called out Tuesday night to Case Postma's farm when lightning struck a barn, melted several wires, but it put itself out. (News -Record photo) Couple living in car after eviction • Larry and Jacqueline Cowell are living in a car in Clinton after they were evicted from their Seaforth apartment after they refused to pay the $75 rent. After the eviction, their children, twins Carol, and Shirley, 9, Andrea, 7 and Christine, 5, were given to the Children's Aid Society and put in separate foster homes. The Cowells have not seen their children, have not found another place to live, and have been unable to get their furniture out of their former residence. Because of this situation, Cowell, 29, and his wife, 28, have been forced t� move into their car in the driveway of friends,, Bud and Sharort Cook of Clinton. The Cooks have six children of their own dnd there are no extra sleeping quarters in their home. However, Mrs, Cowell stays inside the house during the day while her husband is either working with construction or 8eing treated for chronic migraine headaches which requires constantmedication. :The Cowells Were eVitted frotn,,their, five tooth apirthient on the SeCohd floor of a 'converted, house at 127 Main $t,, Seaforth by landlord Murray Dalton after they refused to pay rent. According to the London Free Press Mrs. Cowell 'said the rent had not been paid since January because of needed repairs. The toilet didn't work, the drains were blocked, and could not be cleared and there was no hot water. She also said that the building was poorly insulated and there wts frost on the inside of the wails during the winter and the family was forced to live in one room .while they tried to save money by using electric heaters instead of the natural gas systenl. Dalton told the Free Press that a signed agreement was made with Cowell tnaking the tenant responsible for the upkeep of the apartment and Cowell now owes him $450 in back rent and $200 for damages since the Cowells left their cats behind when they moved. The family now plans to take Dalton to court to get back their furniture. Dalton said he has given back some of the children's clothing and has burned two truckloads of otheilnaterial, Mts. CeWelt told the Free Ptiesh, that the only its She remembers in the agreement, which she says was not a formal lease, was that they were not to have any large parties and any redecorating would have to be paid by themselves. She also noted ,that when she left the apartment,bunk beds, tables, chairs, couch, pots and pans, cutlery and a refrigerator were left behind. However, getting the furniture back is not the 'most important thing to the Cowells, more importantly they want their children but Mrs. Cowell said they would be upset over the family's present difficulties, and Until they get a place to live in or her husband finds a better paying job, their children will remain in foster homes. After the couple lost the apartment they applied for public housing but they were ruled out because they had not lived in municipality long enough. Other •accommodations have been too ex. pensive for the fAmliy so far. Mrs. Cowell told the Free Press, "1.. don't ask for much. I'don't have much, eontent4hacl thy husband and thy kids and a root over my had. tow don't have my kids or a roof." Hydro put - Hydro crews from the Clinton office worked in the pouring rain Tuesday restoring power to a section of Huron, including Blyth and part of town, that was blacked out after a car hit a pole on Hullett concession 15 and 16 at 2:40 p.m. Driver Gary McCarthy of Vanastra, and his passenger Sandy McLaren received minor bruises. Power was restored in 90 minutes. Another minor blackout occurred during a severe thunderstorm Tuesday evening. (News -Record photo) Feast or famine for farmers This .year is going down as a year of weather extremes, and no one is feeling the pinch more than the farmers, who have said it is a feast or famine year. After a hot and dry spring and early 'summer for most farmers in Huron County, August has come up cool and wet, with growers in the central and. northern parts of the county being hardest hit. In the first 16 days of -August, parts of the county have received up to eight inches of rain, and most fields have turned from near desert like conditions in July to muddy swamps. Mike Miller, associate ag rep at Clinton, said, the situation is critical for farmers trying -to get off their spring grain. With still half the graimto harvest yet, Miller said farmers in the upper half of the county have received a double Not only is the grain starting to sprout, particularly in fields that have been swathed, but farmers won't ?be able to get equipment into the fields for a week because of the muddy conditions. , "All we can hope for is some hot and dry weather from now on," said Miller. Thi cool weather is also slowing down the corn and bean crops, but the added moisture has been a boon to parched pastureland. The cool, weather has stalled growth of Huron's two major crops, and Miller said that on July 22 when the thermometer dipped to 5 degrees C (40 degrees F), frost was , recorded in several low lying areasin northern townships. Added to that, corn is only worth $1.73 a bushel, far below production costs. • So far in August, the Goderich weather station has recorded 195.5 mrn (7.80 inches) of rain, with 92 mm (3.66 inches) of that total coming in a 12 -hour period on TuesdaS7, a new record. During a two-hour period from 11 a.m. on Tuesday morning until 1 p.m. in the afternoon, 68 mm (2.72 inches) of rain fell. "I've never seen it rain so hard in my life," said Goderich meterologist Tony' Chir, an eight-year weather watching veteran..• At the Dominion weather observation post at the Norman Baird. farm in Brucefield, 111 mrn (4.44 inches) of rain has fallen so far in August. Mrs. Baird reported that in July, only 36.5 mm (1.46 inches) fell, with most of that coming in the last two days. Goderich airport received only 27.5 mm (1.1 inches) in July., according to Chir, making it the driest July since 1966. Homebound help coming By Wilma Oke Help is on the way for older people in. Huron County who are sitting in their homes because there is no place to go, and often no way to get there if they wanted to go. A group of interested people con- • Ann St, lean ot Atibnrn is, the co ordlnatpr of the new ,prograni for itOttieboittohleople in the cOnitty. (Photo by Wilma Oke) " , • cerned about these lonely folk have been holding meetings to find how they could be helped. A grant from the provincial ministry of cbmmunity and social services for $40,289.60 has been received to start this Outreach program which is being called Project Homebound and will run from August 1, 1977, to August, 1978. The grant is 80 percent of the sum applied for of $50,362 and will'f?be repeated a second rear. Ann St. Jean of Auburn has been hired as co-ordinator and activity director of this Huron Outreach program - Geriatric Day Care - and a committee has been foi-med. Mrs. St.^ Jean, wife ofi Earl St. Jean, United Church minister at Auburn, is a warm, cheerful woman sensitive to the needs of the elderly. She has a son David at home, a Grade 13 student at Goderich, and a daughter, Elizabeth in Toronto working at the RecreationaMentre for Children in the Regent's Park area. Mrs. St. Jean gives great credit ,to her husband for his understanding and help at home which enables her to work with older people. Mrs. St. Jean has had previous ex- perience working with senior citizens in various centres in Ontario where her husband has been a minister such as 'Osgoode, Victoria Harbour, 1Vlanitowaning, and Lakefield, where she was instrumental in starting programs for the homebound. She is' working at present at the Maitland Manor Nursing Home in Goderich, and *kill start her (centinued On page 3 4 • a