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Clinton News-Record, 1977-10-13, Page 1Outlook goes from gloomy to desperate The gloomy outlook for Huron County's farming community continues to get even gloomier with each cloudy, rainy day and as the middle of October draws near, many farmers and agricultural officials are saying that the fall of 1977 will go down as the worst in * recent memory, if not the last 100 years. Already, nearly everyone has given up any hopes of getting any more of I-juron's $15 million bean crop off and losses will hit at least $10 million in Huron County alone, as persistent rain, cloudy skies and cool temperatures continue to hamper harvest conditions. Not only is the 75 percent bean crop lost, but the corn harvest is falling behind and less than a 25 percent of the winter wheat crop is sown. "We're simply running out of time; fast,," said .Huron's . agricultural representative Don Pullen do Wed - y Big chief Even Indian chiefs like turkey, or at least this chief, Stanley Airdrie, 6 did. Chief Airdrie along with a number of other Indians joined with the pilgrims for the Thanksgiving feast at Hullett Central School last Friday. The pilgrims and Indians were actually children from the grade one and two classes at the school. (News -Record photo) Hullett to allow trapping Trappers in Hullett were granted M permission to hunt on township 'property at council's regular meeting last Monday, October 3. The Ministry of Natural Resources permission,was received by the council. In other business, Clerk Clare Vincent was instructed to order a councillor's handbook. The book will act as an aid to council procedures, making of motions. 2nd many other guidelines,. Clerk Vincent noted that the book will 81 CO11111111 by Jim Fitzgerald We hate to complain, especially after a Thanksgiving weeke'rd when most of us Were reminded of just• how good' things are in Canada and in Huron County in particular, but the weather has gone Elirom lousy to terrible, to lousy terrible nd in fact one of the main problems is finding enough adjectives to., describe how rotten it really is without resorting to the four letter ones which we couldn't print anyway. 4 If you're a farmer staring desperately .out the window at 200 acres of blackened, rain soaked beans, it certainly won't be news, but we have many subscribers across the continent, and some in drought plagued California would gladly take some of thebl7 inches of rain we had in the last two and a half months. -i- -1- + But not everything is dismal. The ice is in the arena with few problems, thanks to the arena' boys, who worked all night several nights at the first Junior game • will be played Friday night. t The Industrial Hockey league are still coking for players though, and have xtended the sign up date another week until next Monday night from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The minor hockey association and the figure skaters are planning a skate-a- thon for next Saturday, October 22, so look for kids out seeking pledges. ++4 - Winter ++Winter can't be far off as already, a planning meeting for the 1978 version of a the snoworama to raise funds for Crippled Children has been set for next Tuesday night at Hully Gully at 8 p.m. Randy Collins wants to see as many interested snowmobilers as possibte--at the meeting, as the affair raised $38,000 last year, a very worthwhile project. One old wag in town we know quite well is blaming all this poor weather on the metric system, and says that ever since "we went . Celcius the weather 41 don't know what td do. Why just look what the metric system did to the British pound." be made available to not only the council, but also to the public in the clerk's office. A tile drain loan of $2,100 was granted on lot 25, concession 12 for the private Reiland drain. Clerk Vincent explained that council has only $900 left in its drain loan budget for the year and it is questionable whether more money can be received. Hullett received $97,000 for tile loans in 1977. An "on-site" meeting was held on Tuesday following a discussion at Monday night's meeting whether a building permit on lot 29, concession 13 should be passed. The building permit for a barn on the property of Gordaon Howatt was questiorined because it was thought by council members that it would come too close to the municipal drain. The on site check showed that it would not be too close and the permit was passed. Howatt also received permission to build a house on the property and other building permits were issued to Mike -Salverda, lot 28, concession 6, a barn; David Mason, lot 8, concession 10, a porch on a trailer; Dick Westerhout, lot 35, concession 8, a shed for a generator; Sam Dougherty, lot 31, concession 9, a green house and solar collector; Bert Greidanus, lot 26, concession 9, an ad- dition to a house and drive shed; Harold McClinchey, lot 36, concession 14, an addition to a shed and Jan Benjamins, lot 16, concession 12, a shed addition, Council also decided to allow the road superintendent to advertise for snow plowing• tenders. A special meeting will be held on October 25 to award the tender. nesday. "Once we get past the middle of October, the days get very short, and anything can happen with the weather" Pullen added. He said that both the bean and corn crops had excellent potential before the continued rains came and now, the prospects look dim for nearly all the crops. Although grain corn can be taken off all winter with little loss of quality -or yield, muddy fields and the potential of high snowfalls•may even keep that from being harvested. "Even fields with good tile drainage are in trouble this year, which is unusual," said Pullen, "tractors and forage harvesters are getting stuck in fields that have been in good shape in the past." Ironically however, the wet weather is having a reverse effect on the silage corn, which is now too mature and too dry. "Ideally, corn should go into the silo at about 65 percent moisture, but some of it is coming off at 50 percent, which means it doesn't pack very well and could spoil," Pullen said, All but the brightest optimists have given up on Huron's 63,000 acre white 'bean crop, with the loss of 75 percent of the potential yield.' "We've only seen 25 percent of what we had last yeat'," said L.loyd Whitcsell, assistant manager of W.G. Thompson and Sons Ele +ator• of Hensall. "We haven't seen a number one bean in a long time', Whitesell said. He said they may get another five or six percent more of the crop in, if the weather improves, but said the rest, especially the earlier Seafarer variety, are finished, rotted in the fields. "I guess you could say that 95 percent of the Seafarers are lost," said local Crop Insurance agent' Peter Roy of Clinton, ` rr^ .-^;,a l"nt'w of only six out of his 400 clients in Huron that had got their beans off, "We won't know until December what the final loss will be," Roy said, but only about 60 percent of bean farmers even carry insurance. Whitcsell, meanwhile, said there would likely be no shortage "o€ white beans for local canners of grocery store customers who purchase dry beans. "They've already got 1,500,000 hun- dred weight bags off in Michigan, Whitesell said. Since Thompsons won't have many beans to process this winter, some people at the mill may face layoffs, "It's certainly not our (Thompson's) policy to lay peoplcj off. They have specialized skills that we like to keep," Whitesell said. So far in October, nearly 75 mm..(three inches) of rain has fallen in Huron and combined with a 375 mm. in August and September (14 inches, it has been the wettest three fall months ever. M.ost creeks and rivers are running at spring flood levels and many well tiled fields. are.quagmires. Not only are the cash crop farmer§ in trouble, but many tanners who feed cattle through .the winter will not have enough dry feed, according to Pullen. "T,here's still thousands of tons of second and third cuthay out in the fields that the livestock producers 4dly need," said Pullen, "The first cut was very poor because of the dry'conditions earlier this year .(May, June, and July)." Although the growing season has been unusually long, with no killer frosts yet, many farmers are hoping for drier weather and even a frost, to dry up the corn, But overall, according to the weather office, when the year's temperatures and rainfall are averaged out, it will just he an average year. "But it certainly has been a year of extremes," Pullen said. Clinton, Ontario 30 cents Thursday, October 13, 1977 Clinton wants it 112th Year -No. 41 Weather 1977 1976 HI LO HI 10 OCTOBER 4 61 48 5. 56 42 6 55 38 7 53 '33 8 61 43 9 49 45 10 66 42 Rain .53" 73 48 74 54 '66 47 48 39 47 36 44 41 51 38 Rain .84" Central police dispatch needed now, towns told BY JOANNE WALTERS To go with a common police com- munications system for Huron County or not to go with it ---that was the main question put forth at a meeting of police chiefs and town officials from Clinton, Exeter, Wingham, Seaforth and Goderich. The meeting was held last Wednesday evening in Goderich. Jim Fraser, communications expert with the Waterloo Regional Police Force, presented an overview of a common police radio system and ex- plained the advantages it offered. He said the system would provide a closer liaison between the five municipalities and through the Provincial Common Channel would provide a closer liaison with all forces in Ontario. The five municipal forces could also seek assistance from London and Stratford forces through common channels. With the new system, said Fraser, pertinent information rePated to a crime in progress in any of the five areas could be quickly disseminated for action. He said with the new system, the public would not be in danger of having a true emergency call stacked behind non - important calls as can happen in any of the police configurations today. Fraser urged the five communities to band together t� buy the equipment for the new system since this would be cheaper. A common police radio system for Huron County, he said, would be eligible for a 75 percent provincial grant for assistance. A County system he said, would also provide the strength in numbers to request a Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC terminal for use by the County forces rather than having to request this information from the O.P.P. CPIC is a computerized service supplying police with informati,on on suspects, stolen autos, etc, within seconds. With the present system, the only way the five municipal forces have access to CPIC is by phoning the O.P.P. detachment in Goderich. This results in long distance telephone bills which are most expensive especially for the two extremities, Exeter and Wingham. Also, Fraser asked, "How would you like to stop someone at 3 a.m. and ask him to wait while you go to a phone and check him out?" He said, "Right now you don't have access to a $10 billion,• computer system. It is there for your use and you can't take advantage of it." The new common dispatch system could contain a direct wire to CPIC. Fraser urged those at the meeting on Wednesday to make a quick decision Paper price increased Increasing costs of paper, supplies, labor and operating expenses have forced the News -Record to increase the price ofsthe paper and advertising rates, manager J. Howard Aitken announced last week. However, beginning this week, a new special discount will go into effect on all word classifieds that are inserted' for more than one week. Mr. Aitken said that the newsstand price of the paper will go up five cents to 30 cents, the first change in three years. "We last raised the newsstand price to 25 cents in 1974, but felt we couldn't continue to absorb the continuing price hikes in newsprint, which is going up another $30 a ton this month," Mr. Aitken said. The cost of a yearly subscription will go up`$l to $13 for Canadian Subscribers, while subscribers in the' U.S.A. will now pay 'p1' aria papurs Ucstincd for other countries will cost $20. "But we are still continuing our special subscription for senior citizens," Mr. Aitken said. "They will only have to pay $11 in Canada and $15 in the U.S." Classified word rates have also been increased slightly, but customers can get a bargain on their ads for second and subsequent insertions with no word changes'. A basic classified will cost $2.25, but if' it is left in for a second time, itwill only cost $1.50 for the second and any subsequent insertion. There will also be new bargain prices on coming event ads, that if run for three weeks, a ctistonier will get three weeks for the price of two, again if there are no word changes. Mr. Aitken said that a subscription is still the best buy, cost only $13, com- pared to a $15.60 cost if bought on the newsstand: regarding the common system. Any delays, he said, will result in higher costs, "I don't mean to be an alarmist,,but the political -scene does change." He said present Ontario Police, Commissioner Elmer Bell is sympathetic to Huron County's needs, but Bell is unlikely to remain in the post much longer. Fraser called the present system in Huron County "a hodge podge system" which is not police oriented. "Your people don't even have access to a computer installed in 1973." he said. If the centralized system is not ac- csfpted, Fraser said, "the only ones who will lose out are your ratepayers; they are the ones who suffer from poor police work." He continued that, "it is a matter of the .members of represented municipal councils of Huron County to decide 'Whether`' or not they wish to embark on such a system but this decision„ must be made soon from an economic point of view." He said that further delay would not only increase costs but also jeopardize the police and population of Huron County, particularly in view of the current system. "I recommend that an immediate decision be made toward supporting a County Police Radio System based -in Goderich or withdrawing from such a scheme and allow Goderich to carry on with their own system," he said. He added that it would be expensive but concluded that, "you may have to scratch to do it but it's easier to scratch now than in a few years." Goderich Mayor Deb Shewfelt said the idea of a centralized police com- munications system had died at the County level in Exeter in 1974 and added, "I would hate to see it die again tonight in this building." Shewfelt urged that a polling or basic decision be made at the meet 'ng regarding the system. He suggested that the council members present . at the meeting could then put the question to their individual councils at their next town council sessions. "It's a matter of saying, YES we're going to go with it," said Shewfelt. "To go with it would be wisest," said Fraser. "The Ontario Police Com- mission (OPC) is waiting fora letter and it has to be received soon or the grant may be lost." . Clinton mayor Harold Lobb". said, "We'd like to progress along with the rest for something better. Hopefully we can bring an answer after the next council meeting and I hope it's to go ahead with the system," Seaforth mayor Betty Cardinal said, "I think we should have an answer by next month." Shewfelt said, "It's a people service. If the cost is based on a population basis, I'm sure council would back it." He added that a motion to accept the new system would probably only be passed on the condition that financial assistance be received from the OPC. All town officials present agreed to go ahead to each of their five individual councils, then take the council reply to their chiefs of police who would then collectively write a letter to the OPC. "I would like to see that green light," said Fraser. Once the five municipalities agree to accept the centralized system, the next question to be settledwill be the location of its headquarters. Fraser suggested that Goderich would be the best location. While Clinton is more central, he said, Goderich has a larger police and office staff and to centre the system in Clinton would mean enlarging the present police offices there. "The only justificaltion to locate in Clinton;" said Fraser,'"is a monthly cost advantage of $249,45 at this time and although the.=uost savings are rather substantial, there are other con- siderations and this prcblem must be resolved by the communities." Clinton mayor Harold Lobb made it clear that his town still feels that it should have the communications headquarters. "I didn't come to argue with you; I just want to assure you we would be happy to have ...that com- munications system in Canton." He added that Clinton would not expect the other municipalities to share in the costs of renovations for the1 location of the system. The cost of the communications *centralization would be shared by the five municipalities if all agreed to the continued on page 3 Man charged after pole demolished Benjamin Carlile, 43, of 163 Queen Street, Hensall escaped injury when the car he was driving struckthe centre curb and demolished a cement traffic pole at the main intersection in Clinton on Saturday evening. Carlile was travelling southbound an highway No. 4 when he hit the curb and pole, where the highway turns left to, continue south. Although he escaped uninjured, damages to the car he was driving were set al $2,000 with damages to the pole at $1,.500. He was charged with careless driving by the investigating officer, Constable Wayne McFadden. The Goderich detachment of the OPP reported a relatively quiet holiday weekend on roads in this area. ' Peter Rozell, 9, of R.R. 4, Egmondville received minor injuries and was taken to Seaforth Hospital last Friday after the X -Rated Clinton Public Hospital administrator Doug Coventry shows.Mrs. Frank Fingland how the new portable X-ray machine is run. Mrs. Finglanci past president of the District TWO Hospital Auxiliaries •of Ontario and member of the Bolted of Governors management committee of the Clinton Hospital preslnted Mfr: Coventry with the cheque for $3,783 from the auxiliary to help pay for the machine. (News.Record photo) bicycle he was riding was allegedly knocked to the ground by a passing car. Rozell was riding his bike on an east sidewalk in Egmondville when he said that an unknown car, heading south, crossed the road on the boulevard and struck his handlebar, which knocked the - hike to the ground. The car did not stop and no description could be offered. Jim Middleton, 23, of R.R. 3, Clinton has almost recovered from his injuries' following a single car accident which occurred on October 1. Middleton was travelling alone on the Bayfield Road (County road 13), two miles west of Clinton when his west - hound car lost control on the wet pavement, ,just coming out of a 'urve, and went into the north ditch. The car struck a driveway' bank and rolled over, coming to rest on its wheels. Damage to the 1972 Chev .was'set at $1,500, to' the roof, both sides and rear of the car. Middleton was taken to hospital by private car. Justice of Peace hands out Fines Justice of the Peace, Gordon Ferris was in charge of provincial court in Clinton last Wednesday in the absence of a judge to replace the late Judge Glenn Hays. W illiAm Sullivan, Michael Johnston and Alexander Fitzgerald were all given separate fines of $54* or five days in jail as the result of open liquor charges. - Angela Duizer pleaded guilty to a charge of a minor attempting to pur- chase liquor and was fined $54 or five day, in jail. Brian J. Brindley was fined $13 or one day in jail for a speeding charge. Unnecessary noise charges and\fines of $78 or 'eight days in jail. were given. separately ' to Richard • S. Bell, .1I. • Edward Godfrey, Paul R. Lawrence and Robert S. O'Connell.