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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1978-02-02, Page 1ti • 250 pigs -Jost About two dozen neighbours, friends and members of the Varna Orange Lodge helped Don Taylor of RR 3, Clinton, clean-up the remains of his hog barn on Monday, following a fire that completely destroyed the barn last Thursday, killing 60 sows and 190 little pigs. Firemen estimate damage at over $100,000 in the blaze that was discovered by Mr. Taylor shortly after noon hour. No cause has been given for the blaze. (News -Record photo') Friends help fire victim More than two dozen neighbours and friends were helping Don Taylor of the Varna area this week with a massive clean-up job, following an afternoon fire last Thursday that completely destroyed his hog farrowing operation. Lost in the blaze were a large barn, 60 sows, 190 weaners, all the feed, and some equipment. Clinton area fire chief Clarence Neilans estimated damage at more than by Jim Fitzgerald If one bases the chances of today, Ground Hog Day, being a sunny day on the last two months, there won't be any sunshine, the groundhog won't see his shadow, and spring can only be a few weeks off. However, we agree with columnist Elaine Townshend, who says in her "Odds and Ends" column today that there's not a groundhog stupid enough to come out in this weather anyway, so it can't really be used in forecasting the weather. + + + Most of the time, many of us in the snowbelt curse Lake Huron for the massive cloud cover and heavy snows "she" gives us in the winter months, but this year, according to weather experts, the watery old gal has also worked to our benefit. Not only has she given us that cloud cover that has kept the tem- peratures from sinking too low, but she has also deflected several bad storms in recent months, and while other parts of the province have suffered a terrible winter, much of the county up to 15 miles inland from the lake have experienced what is termed a "normal" winter. + ++ Although at presstime the complete weather records for January were not compiled yet, it would appear at first glance that the month, at least in the Clinton area, was slightly colder than normal with above average precipitation, and almost no sunshine. + ++ But even though it's only the first of February, the shortest month of the year, spring can't be too far away, as already the two soccer organizations in town are getting ready for the day the green grass is visible again. The senior soccer club is meeting this coming Sunday, February 5 at 3 p.m. in the town hall, while the minor soccer association is planning their upcoming season at a meeting next Sunday, February 12 at 7:30 p.m. in the arena. Both groups are in' need of exec Live help, we un- derstand. +++ And while we're at it, what ever itappened to the Architectural Con- ervancy Society that was going to be formed in town? Councillor Ron McKay was seeking help last fall, but since then, we've heard nothing. + + + Fot the gardeners in the audience, we offer the following gem, courtesy of Nina Haw of Bayfield: "Costly cross : Before the First World War, some scientists were ex- perimenting with the cross breeding of various plants and shrubs. "One day they crossed a hyacinth with a spreading taxi's, and they got a creeping, virulent, evil growth that now infests the whole government — hyataxus High school teachers to take strike vote Wednesday Huron County's 273 secondary school teachers will be taking a strike vote next Wednesday, February 8. Negotiations have been going on between the Huron County Board of Education and the teachers for over a year. The teachers contract expired last September. The vote on February 8 will consist of two separate ballots, according to provincial executive member cif the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation, Beverley Thompson of Toronto. On the first ballot the teachers will decide whether or not to accept the ,.cv,... .,rd in the second ballot,_ the teachers will be asked whether or not they would "impose sanctions on the board." "If the teachers vote in favor of im- posing sanctions, it won't necessarily mean they would automatically go on strike, but perhaps there could be a slowdown," Thompson said. .Once the teachers turn down the board's offer and vote to impose sanc- tions, those sanctions could range from a curtailment of extra -curricular ac- tivities to a complete walkout. It would take from ..two to four weeks after the strike vote is taken before the "sanctions" came into effect. Clinton man charged after stabbing incident A Clinton area man, Donald Ernest Laws, 41, of no fixed address, was released on his own recognizance in Goderich court on Monday on a charge of causing bodily harm with intent to maim or wound in connection with a stabbing incident in Clinton last Wed- nesday night, January 25. Clinton police reported that Robert Laws, 40, of no fixed address was stabbed in the neck at a home on 79 Huron Street about 7 p.m. Wednesday night. The victim was taken to Clinton Hospital and released after doctors closed a wound in the right side of his neck with five stitches. Police have recovered a 41/2" steak knife. The accused will appear in Goderich court on February 6. Police say the pair are brothers. Clinton, Ontario '.70 cents $100,000 in the blaze, which completely levelled the large barn. Firemen were able to save a near -by implement shed and the Taylor house, on County Road 31, two miles east of Varna, but the barn was a ball of flames when they arrived. Chief Neilans said that high winds and 'heavily drifted roads from a storm passing through the area at the time, slowed firemen from getting to the scene, and the truck ran into smoke and ashes nearly a mile before they arrived at the fire. Mr. Taylor said he was unable to call the fire department on the phone when he discovered the fire shortly after noon hour because the fire had burned through an extension phone in the barn, shorting it out. He was finally able to reach deputy - fire chief Fred Lobb on the CB radio, and firemen were dispatched at 12:38. Mr. Taylor said Monday that. the fire department arrived very quickly, as high winds were carrying embers and heat towards the house. He said the loss was covered by in- surance, and he would likely rebuild in the spring. Members of the Loyal Orange Lodge of Varna organized the work bee Mon- day to clean up the debris and burned pigs. Thursday, February 2, 1978, ll3th Year No. 5 Weather 1978 1977 HI 10 HI 1.0 JANUARY 24 31 13 25 32 27 26 36 12 27 23 17 '28 22 12 15 2 29 21 -10 5 -8 30 20 16 9 -2 , Snow 14" Snow 10". rain .89 26 27 25 7 18 22 12 • linter "hurricane"spares Clinton area A winter storm, described as the worsL of the century that swept through most" of southern Ontario and the Great Lakes States last Thursday and Friday, spared the immediate Clinton area, leaving Central and northern Huron County with little damage or hardship. The storm, described as a "winter hurricane" packed winds of up to 100 miles an hour, and a foot of snow, didn't hit the Clinton area, and weather technicians say we were lucky. The worst of the storm seemed to begin about Kippen on the south, and Seaforth on the east. According to weatherman Tony Chir of the Goderich Airport weather station, the barometer hit its lowest reading ever, bottoming out at 27.80 inches (28.25 corrected to sea level) on Thursday morning, but winds `only reached 50 miles an hour in one gust. "You and I will likely never see the barometer, that.. ,low again in4 our Tifetime," Mr. Chir said. He said there was only about 6.30 in- ches of snow recorded in during the storm, and a large amount of rain. The Clinton and Goderich area escaped the full force of the storm because the area sat in the "eye" of the storm -for much of Thursday, and when the "eye" moved north-eastward, the backside of the storm lacked the high winds of the frontside. However, snowfall amounts and wind damage reports get progressively worse the further south and east of the "eye." The Norman Baird weather recording station at Brucefield recorded 14 inches of snow during the weekend, and south of Exeter, mountainous snowdrifts attest to the heavy snow and ferocity of the wind. Further to the south in London and Elgin County. huge plate glass windows Goderich set for dispatch system. The question of which Huron County town will be the central dispatch for the county -wide police communication system still remains unknown; however from what is being said by some area police chiefs, the dispatch may likely be set up in Goderich. According to Goderich Poli e Chief Pat King, as he told the London Free Press, Goderich is prepared to house the system despite the fact that the police station; located on West Street, is in poor condition and may need repairs. At the present time there is no money to build new headquarters, but'a fund that is now being established to finance a new building may see the Goderich police in a new location within the next five years. Clinton's Police Chief Lloyd Westlake noted, "They haven't said definitely what town the central dispatch will be in, but more than likely it will be' in Goderich, they have the security." Chief Westlake explained that Goderich has the largest force, 10 men, out of the five Huron towns and it is also the county seat. "If a dispatcher in Clinton gets sick, we would have to put in a policeman and we don't have the manpower here," he explained. "The Clinton Council offered to build a 350 square fo9t addition for the system, but due to the security required for the system it would have meant hiring another police officer," Chief Westlake added. Meanwhile, Goderich Chief Pat King, explained that the Goderich office presently has the accommodations for the communication system. Chief Westlake also noted, "Pat King is not the spokesman for the county. The five chiefs are all to sit as a board and a spokesman will be issued by the board." The chiefs have been told by their advisor from the Ontario Police Com mission that tenders for the equipment needed will likely be called for. late in March. The start-up costs are expected to be about $70,000 for new radios, radio tower and monitors. The province will pay 75 per cent of the costs and the five municipalities will pay for the rest. The cost of the communication system will be based on a per capita basis and once the program is in full operation the,( expected costs for November and - December are: Clinton, $7,684; Goderich, $15,770; Seaforth, $5,758; Exeter, $8,826; Wingham, $7,636. The five chiefs agreed that in their 1978 budgets they would include the operating costs of the system for November and December. were blown in by the hurricane force winds, and many barns, and high tension hydro towers were flattened. In the state of Ohio, the area was declared a disaster area, and road crews and the National Guard were still trying Wednesday to dig through 15 -foot drifts on highways to free motorists stranded nearly a week. Up to 400 Canadians were stranded in the States on their way to and from Florida. In the "Clinton area, no deaths were directly attributable to the storm, although a Wingham man died in a trapped car near St. Thomas, and a Seaforth man died in a tar accident last Thursday near Walton. Schools were closed in the area Thursday and Friday, a small number of travelling motoristswere stranded, and the post office, although open, received little out-of-town mail, and suspended rural mail delivery for two days. An Ontario Hydro worker from the Clinton office, Joseph Soos, 21, became lost in the blizzard near Dublin on Thursday while checking a 230 KV transmission line, and there was a great deal of concern at the Clinton office until he was found three hours later at a farm. Snowfall amounts show a wide variance in Huron County so far this winter, and Mr. Baird reports 35 inches of the white stuff fell in January of 1978, compared to about 40 inches last year. However, this year .89 of an inch of rain has fallen making it a very wet month. Because of the light snowfall in November and December of this winter compared to last winter, however, total accumulations are still behind last year. Clinton author literary winner Canadian writer Alice Munro is the 1977 winner of the Canada -Australia Literary prize, it was announced. The $2,500 prize is awarded jointly by the external affairs department, the Canada Council and the Australian Council in an effort to make Australians more familiar with each other's writers. Munro was selected by a panel of Australian judges from among six authors submitted by the Canada Council. One of the most widely anthologized Turn to page 3 Snowmobilers raise $30,000 for Timmy BY JEFF SEDDON Close, to 350 snowmobilers went for a 100 mile ride across Huron County Sunday and netted about $30,000 for the Crippled Children fund. The snowmobilers took part in Whipper Watson's Snowarama for Timmy, the A busy spot It was a very Beetle day last Sunday for those manning the chdckpoints •along the 85 -mile route of the 2nd. annual snowarama by snowmobilers to raise money for crippled children. Here Hugh Flynn, left and Carl Fox had their 0 hands hill at a checkpoint at Ray "Potter's on tile edge of Clinton. More than $30,000 was raised by the 340 entrants in the cross country run. (News -Record photo) million dollar ride for Crippled Children. Mike Caissie, one of the organizers for the mammoth fund raising effort, said Monday that over 340 riders took part in the ride and that estimates on the proceeds were about $30,000. He said the co-operation . of the hundreds of lan- downers that permitted their land to be part of the 100 mile route plus work done by snowmobile clubs', CB clubs and the Goderich OPP sled team was a key factor in the success of the day. Caissie said that most of the riders managed to complete the 100 miles but added there were some problems. He said some of the snowmobilers went more than the 100 mile limit because they went off course and some felt like they had ridden 200 miles. Awards for outstanding or unusual efforts ih the- ride were handed out at its completion. The Champion Road Machinery Ltd. award for the Warden's Challenge went to Tom Consitt, reeve of Stanley township. The award for the individual securing the most amound pledged was given, to Ben Graham of Goderich who collected $2,103. Caissie added that Graham only had the forms for pledges for four days prior to the ride and 'still managed to get sponsors for that amount. The McDonald Cup, given to the youngest participant was presented to Mark• Lade Jr. of London. The nine year old completed -the entire 100 miles and more. The Avco Finance Hard Luck award was given to Keith Miller of Seaforth who totaled his machine, when ac- cording to Caissie, a tree stepped in ,his pith.