HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1978-06-08, Page 1•
Clinton's oldest industry, Sherlock -Manning Piano
Company will likely be closed within a year, as the plant
will be amalgamated with the Heintzman Company plant
in Hanover. Most of the 36 employees will be offered jobs
in the Hanover plant, but it is not known how many will
leave Clinton and move to Hanover. Clinton now has only
one manufacturing industry left - Wildex. (News -Record
photo)
Board asked to leave books alone
BY JEFF SEDDON
The Huron County Board of
Education was told Monday it should
trust the judgement of its teachers
when deciding if literary pieces to be
used in high school classrooms are fit
for educational purposes.
Three delegations attending Mon-
dav's board meeting explained to
trustees at considerable length why
three English literature textbooks
should not be banned from secondary
school book lists. The books -Catcher in
the Rye by J.D. Salinger, The Diviners
by Margaret Laurence and Of Mice and
Men by John Steinbeck-were con-
sidered blasphemous and, obscene by
a group of parents from Kingsbridge
who started a campaign to have them
banned from school booklists.
Dr. Tom Collins, chairman of the
English department at the University
of Western Ontario, told the board that
the three books were not at all
blasphemous or obscene but rather
were of "superior quality". He said the
books all had excellent educational
value.
Collins said the purpose of a literary
piece was to educate the imagination of
readers by creating "construct"
worlds that the reader can become
familiar with without actually living in
them. He said the worlds created are
usually ones people wouldn't .normally
live in but can become aware of
through the hooks. He suggested the
worlds could be "better ones created in
fairy tales or terrible ones lived in by
Hamlet".
The professor said the books in
question may contain portions that will
be offensive to some people but added
that if only material that could be of-
fensive to people was sought out The
Bible or the works of Shakespeare
could also fall into that category.
He said the definition of pornography
is material used for the purpose of
provoking sexual arousement for its
own sake. He said the material in the
three books in question was not por-
nographic in the context in which it was
used in the hooks.
Collins suggested th,at students have
two major environments in which they
Seaforth teen killed
Deborah Anne Simpson. 17 of Main
Street, Seaforth was killed early
Sunday morning when the car she was
driving left concession road 2 in
McKillop Township, just north of
Seaforth.
The Goderich detachment of the OPP
reported that the eastbound car went
over the bank after leaving the road
nd fell about 21 metres into a gravel
pit. The Simpson girl was thrown from
the car and found lying dead in the
quarry.
No further details are available as to
the cause of the accident until the
police report is completed.
No injuries were received when two
cars collided on County Road 12 in
Tuckersmith Township, near
Egmondville on June 1.
A car driven by Audrey McLean, 54,
of R.R. 4, Seaforth received $250 in
damages after it collided with a second
vehicle driven by Patricia Patrick, 571,
of R.R. 4, Seaforth. The Patrick vehicie
received $1,000 in damages.
The McLean vehicle was southbound
on No. 12 when it slowed for a car ahead
the Patrick car, also southbound
collided with the rear of the McLean
vehicle.
Clinton's police Chief Lloyd Westlake
reported a quiet weekend during the
Fair. He hfowever, explained that one of
the games at the Fair had to be closed
down.
The Crown Anchor game, operated
by Lillion Curts of London, was closed
by police after it was discovered that it
was taking in betting over the limits of
$1 and returning payouts of more than
$8.
In other news, the Chief explained
that 69 motor vehicles passed through
the Ministry of Transportation and
Communication's safety check set up
in town last Wednesday and Thursday.
Chief Westlake reported that the
mini -safety lane, manned by two men
took 10 cars off the road because they
were unsafe to drive, laid charges to
two others and 29 passed the in-
spection. One driver failed to report to
the check. The fine for failing to report
is $58.
In this age of materialism when
few people work at any job unless
there's some sort of remuneration,
the fair is a refreshing reminder
each year of what true giving is all
about.
Every year when I visit the spring
fair, I never cease to be amazed at
the tremendous amount of work that
hundreds of people do for absolutely
nothing, other than self satisfaction.
Fair board officials, for example,
spend literally hundreds of hours
each throughout the year lining up
the three-day fair, which is one of
the most impressive in this part of
Ontario.
Exhibitors, too, put in a great
many hours preparing and readying
their entries, be they things or beast,
and in all but a few cases, the prize
money hardly covets expenses.
So it was indeed sad at this year's
Spring Fair to see the attendance
down substantially from last year,
even though there was lots to see,
and the weather was perfect.
Fair board members must wonder
what more they could do, working
with such a limited budget, to at-
tract more people. I for one, would
hate to see the Clinton fair disappear
like many other fairs in the area,
and our Winter Carnival.
+++
As with every Spring Fair, the
News -Record staff was out in full
force covering. as many events as
possible, and trying to get as many
of the results as possible in the
paper. Thanks to the hard work of
Bob and Donna Gibbings, our task
was made much easier, but we are
still faced with trying to decide how
many of the 250 pictures we took to
put in the paper.
If you don't see a particular pic-
ture this week, hold on, it likely will
appear next week.
+++
The weather of the last two weeks
of May finally reversed a trend of
below normal temperatures, and
dull weather that has been the
pattern across the district since last
December, the weather office tells
us.
May this year, like last year, was
blessed with above normal tem-
peratures, little rain, and about 50
hours more sunlight than the long
term average. And no one was more
thankful than the farmers and area
gardeners.
Even in the worst of situations,
someone can also find a chuckle, and
such was the case at the rain
drenched Holstein and Jersey shows
last Friday at the Fair. The an-
nouncer of Jersey show, when
calling for the entries in the dry cow
class commented, "there's none to
be found today."
+++
The Clinton firemen had a couple
of calls during the last week. One
was a false alarm at Huronview
early last Thursday morning, and
the other was to a minor chimney
fire at the Collins residence on the
Bayfield Road, three miles south-
west of town on Monda' morning.
function, school and the rest of their
time. He said the time they spend away
from school is consistently filled with
material "I truly label pornographic".
He said he stopped in at a drug store on
his way to the meeting and picked a
magazine and a novel off the store
shelf. He said the two were what he
called pornographic adding that he
would "refrain from being truly of-
• 'turn to page :1 •
Employs 36
Piano factory to close
About 36 emplo s of the Sherlock -
Manning Piano h . . gory in Clinton
may be out of work in the near future,
as the town's oldest industry may be
closing.
William D. Heintzman, president of
Sherlock -Manning in Clinton said in a
press release this week that the Clinton
manufacturing facilities may be
moved to Hanover and consolidated
with the Heintzman and Company
Limited of that town.
Last week, the two companies were
amalgamated and the resulting
company is operating under the name
of Heintzman Limited with its head
office in Hanover.
Mrs. Ann Heintzman, a cousin of
William D. was the president of the
Hanover company.
Heintzman will become president of
the new company, and the
shareholders in the new company will
include shareholders of both the old
Heintzman and Company Limited, and
Sherlock -Manning.
Heintzman said manufacturing
operations will continue at both the
Clinton and the Hanover factories,
pending consolidation in Hanover.
In an interview on Tuesday af-
ternoon, Heintzman said he hadn't set a
date yet for the closing of the Clinton
plant, and wouldn't speculate whether
it would come in a few months, or even
a year.
"We still have a great deal of detail
to work out yet," he said.
"It makes sense to put the facilities
together for economic reasons,"
added.
The amalgamated
continue to supply its
with both Heintzman
Manning pianos.
Despite an economic recession in
1976 which forced the Clinton plant to
lay-off many of their employees,
Heintzman said that "sales had been
pretty good," recently.
The combining of the two companies
leaves only three Canadian owned and
one American -owned company
building pianos in Canada Heintzman
he
company will
dealer network
and Sherlock -
said.
Employees of the Clinton plant will
be offered jobs at.the Hanover plant
because piano manufacturing is such
highly skilled job.
At one time, the Clinton piano factory
was known around the world for its
quality pianos and organs.
The company was originally founded
in 1869 in one of the stores where Ball
and Mutch Furniture is now located.
They manufactured their first organ in
1876.
In 1881, a massive organ factory was
opened on the west side of Raglan
Street between Princess and Rat-
tenbury Streets, by William Doherty
and as early as 1892, it appears, that
manufacturing of pianos began.
In 1898, the whole works burned to
the ground, and later that year, the
present factory on East Street was
constructed, and has been manufac-
turing pianos and organs ever since.
The loss of the piano factory leaves
Clinton with only one large
manufacturing company, Wildex.
Clinton News -Record
113th year —No. 23
Thursday, June 8, 1978
Attendance sags at Spring Fair
by Jim Fitzgerald
Despite nearly ideal conditions,
attendance at this year's 124th Spring
Fair was down, with about 5,000 people
going through the gate at the three-day
event, compared to an estimated 8,000
who saw the fair last year.
Officials of the Huron Central
Agricultural Society are blaming
competition from other events in
nearby towns and cities for some of the
loss of fair -goers, but were at a loss to
explain the whole decrease.
The biggest crowd filled the park to
near capacity Friday night for the
tractor pull, co-sponsored by the Fair
hoard and the Clinton Kinsmen. Nearly
3,000 people went to the fair the first
day.
The Huron County Holstein Show on
Friday, although bothered by a few
light rain showers, was described as
the biggest ever.
Hol -Den Farms of Clinton won the
Bank of Montreal Trophy for being the
premier breeder at the show, while
Despite some light showers, the Huron County Holstein Show at the Spring Fair
last weekend was the biggest ever. The rain stopped Friday afternoon, and
despite beautiful fair weather on Saturday and Sunday, attendance at this
year's fair fell 3,000 to 5,000. Here Ray Royce of Breslau takes shelter under his
umbrella while watching the Holstein show. (News -Record photo)
Bobnan Farms of RR 3, Blyth took
home the Ralston Purina trophy for
being the premier exhibitor.
Elwood Seile of Ethel had both the
grand champion female and the senior
champion female and was awarded the
fair board tray, while Dave Dalzell of
Clinton won the Royal Bank award for
the reserve grand champion cow, and
Emma Franken of Auburn won the
Carter's West End Award for having
the junior champion female.
In the Ontario Spring Jersey show
held at the same time Friday if-
ternooT J. A. White and sons of St.
Thomas had the grand championship
female, and the junior championship
female, for which he was given the H.
Lobb and Sons trophy.
Bell City Jerseys of Princeton won
the fair hoard tray for the breeders
herd, while Dave Honderich was
awarded the Baker Farm and Garden
trophy for the reserve championship
female, and Jack Armstrong of Auburn
had the reserve junior champ.
In the goat show held Friday, the
first in a number of years, the major
winners were Tony McQuail of
Lucknow, Halycon Farms of Denfield,
and Susan Van Egmond of RR 1,
Clinton.
The ladies division of the fair stif-
30 cents
fered from lack of participation this
year, as both the number of entrants
and the number of entries was down
from last year.
Mrs. Dick Roorda of Brucefield won
the Simpson -Sears award for gathering
the most points in the homemaking
section, and the Club House Food
award for the most points in the
domestic science.
Mrs. Ken Johnston of Clinton won
three awards in the sewing section,
while Dorothy Marquis of Clinton won
two awards for most points in the
needlework section.
Mrs. Bill Flynn collected the most.
points in the arts and crafts section,
while Mrs. Bill Dolmage gathered the
most points in the knitting and
crocheting.
Mrs. Charles Nelson of Clinton was
declared the best baking exhibitor, and
Mrs. Percy Livermore was the top
point getter in the floral section.
In the sheep show on Saturday,
described as the biggest in Ontario,
Jim Snell of RR 1, Clinton was best
exhibitor from Hullett Township, and
Thomas Welsh of Petrolia collected the
most points.
Complete results of the fair can be
found elsewhere in the paper.
No more milkmen
Rising expenses and a faster pace
of life has now forced many of the
once common home delivery ser-
vices into extinction. The medical
practitioners, the bakers, the juice
man, and now the local milk man
have joined the ranks of the past.
Fairholme Dairy in Clinton has
announced that their home delivery
service for milk and dairy products
will be discontinued on Jure 13.
The home delivery operation has
been in operation by the Holmes
family since they purchased the
dairy in 1940. Before that, Charlie
Elliott owned the dairy and also
operated a delivery service in the
days of horse and wagon.
The Holmes brothers served
customers in the Clinton and
Vanastra area, although part owner,
Jerry Holmes did not disclose how
many homes still received home
delivery. The dairy had a booming
delivery service when the Clinton
Forces Base was in operation a few
Years ago.
Mr. Holmes explained that the
reason for the discontinued service
is due in part to the rising costs and
new regulations set forth by the
Department of Health. According to
the department's rules, all trucks
used for home delivery must be
refrigerated. The two trucks used by
Fairholme's are not refrigerated
and the other trucks used for
commercial delivery are properly
insulated, but too large to be used for
the home delivery service.
Fairholme Dairy will continue to
deliver Maple Lane milk and dairy
products to the eight commercial
outlets in the area.
Technical director says machinery antiquated
by Shelley McPhee
W. S. Craig, technical director at
CHSS, has criticized the Huron County
Board of Education's strict budget
after the tech department was given
$500 for the "top priority" replacement
machinery.
In a letter to the hoard last Monday
Craig explained that in 1977, he asked
for a program to replace technical
equipment and a committee was then
appointed to study these needs. The
replacement was then given top
priority. Craig explained that much of
the equipment, bought in 1963 is now
obsolete and worn nut and some
machinery in the auto shops was up to
23 years old.
This equipment he explained was
hampering the effectiveness and
quality of the tech classes to the point
where they couldn't afford to make a
switch to metric measurement.
Craig will now have to wait another
year before the issue is raised again
4,
and the budget requirements are
discussed.
Board of Education Director John
Cochrane explained, "There's no way
the budget can be changed this year,
it's already been set and sent out to the
municipalities."
The board on Monday decided to ask
Craig and all the tech and commercial
teachers in Huron to meet with them in
a joint meeting in September when
future budgeting will be discussed. ,
Craig wrote in his letter, "Slowly and
methodically our program is being
strangled by an austerity budget. I
would not be sincere if I sat back and
watched that happen....1 have watched
our budget figures decline at an
alarming rate at a time when supply
prices continually spiral upwards."
He went on to say that last week in a
budget meeting the group was asked to
distribute some $60,000 over a number
of areas, from text books to field trips.
"So, this is our dilemma," he noted.
"If we spend $17,400 for texts we will
have $43,600 left. Last year the ap-
proved supply budget was ap-
proximately $49,000 so already we are
$4,500 short. If we spend all of our
$43,600 for supplies, we then have no
money for such things as night school,
machine rentals, athletics, com-
mencement exercises, field trips, etc.,
etc., etc...."
He further reminded the board that
the replacement and capital budget is
$6,000 for the whole school.
"That amount would buy one metric
lathe for the machine shop," he said.
Craig added that he had referred
consistently to the technical program,
only because he was most familiar to it
and it is one of the most expensive to
operate but he added, "You must
realize however, that I am interested in
all programs of the school and have
only chosen to use the technical
program as an example. Secondly, I
regret the repeated use of the pronoun
I, however it has been necessary to
convey my personal feelings. You
should be aware that our limited
budget is causing frustration and
problems among staff members in
general."
Craig is highly critical of the budget
Turn to page 3 •
Weather
1978 1977
P111 Lt)
MAY
30 28.5 18 46
31 23 11
JUNE
1 28 8.5 64 46
2 19 9 56 42
3 17 6 63 33
4 22 5 78 45
5 15 8 75 51
Rain 2.05 Rain 1.79"
141 LO
78 45
81 43