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Clinton News-Record, 1978-06-15, Page 1• Although Le sley Ann Ginn, 2, daughter of Jon and Debbie Ginn, Goderich had a plate full of food, she seemed more interested in nibbling on her roll and watching everyone else at the Holmesville United Church's Hans and Turkey supper last Thursday night. Every seat was full in the church basement for both sittings of the home cooked meal. (News -Record photo) • • A Hall. restora tion would cost taxpayers X52, Clinton council Monday night received some rough figures from the town hall restoration committee on the estimated costs to repair the building. As part of a delegation, chairman Reg Thompson brought the figures in for budget consideration. He explained that Hill and Borgal estimated the total Cost of the restoration to be $235,000. Another 20 per cent, $47,000 was added by the ministry of culture and recreation for any unforeseeable repairs that might be needed to the old structure, making an estimated total of $282,000. It was pointed out to council that an alternative would be to only complete minimal repairs to the outside of the building at a cost of nearly $60,000. r4 }„„•n•n, • '' r.nfnrl 11,-4 ,• 1. , t minimal repairs only, no grants could be received to aid in the financing. However, with the entire restoration project, a Heritage Foundation grant of $56,400 at 20 per cent and a grant from the Community Centres of 25 per cent or $70,000 could be received to bring the cost down to $155,000. This remaining cost could be raised through a three- way split with the municipality, the public and Wintario paying $51,700 or through a two-way split with the public, through taxes and the Wintario each giving $77,550. Councillor Roy Wheeler raised that question that with total restoration, what would the upstairs of the town hall be used for. • "It hasn't been used for 25 years now and we already have the high school. the Legion and the arena to hold fun- ctions in," he noted. ' Thompson explained that presently all groups are being contacted in town to see whether they would use the upstairs portion of the building for their meetings or social events. He noted that such a survey would not likely be completed until September. Helen Tench added "in n,r•(1t.r to get grants we must state the ouilaings uses. A sub -committee plans to project year round .use of the upstairs and line up dates for events." Satisfied with this information until a formal report is ready, council , upon the remark of Reeve Royce Macaulay, agreed that the group should be commended for their efforts, and were given a round of applause by council members. In other financial business, council passed a motion to allow the ministry of transportation and communication (MTC) to go ahead with repairs on the bi idge crossing the Bayfield River at the town's southern limits at their earliest convenience. Following an • appraisal done by the MTC on the bridge, it was learned that some $12,000 in repairs were needed. The MTC noted that these repairs were mostly cosmetic and there was no urgency to have them done. Clinton will pay for half of the repairs, $6,000, since Highway 4 into Clinton is a connecting link and the town's responsibility. The other half of the bridge leads onto the Queen's High- way which is the responsibility of the MTC, therefore, they will pay for half the expenses as weld. Clinton News -Record 113th year —No. 24 Thursday, June 15,. 1978 Book debate attracts 500 to CHSS BY JEFF SEDDON Close to 500 people sat through an emotion charged public meeting in Clinton Tuesday night to hear arguments for and against the use of Bayfield reeve claims harassment by R. J. Thompson Bayfield reeve E. W. Oddleifson feels certain residents of that village are harassing the council, and he's tired of it. That was his statement at the council meeting on June 5th. Mr. Oddleifson's remarks were a response to questions from the audience at the beginning of the meeting. Mrs. Evelyn Galbraith asked whether the village council had engaged a surveyor to survey lots 548 and 549, at any time during the last five years. She also requested a letter confirming either an affirmative or negative response to her inquiry. When invited to answer individually, council members indicated that no such survey had been commissioned, to their knowledge. Replying to Mrs. Galbraith"s request for a letter, Reeve Oddleifson said the council would have to consult its lawyer about such a request. He charged: "Mrs. Galbraith, you and your people have been harassing this council for quite some time now." Mrs. Galbraith is one of the ratepayers who petitioned the council at the May 5th meeting, asking that the land -use by-law (1969) be consistently and fully enforced. The two lots she asked about are among properties listed in a petition sent to Ontario treasurer Darcy McKeough last September. That petition requested a commission of inquiry into by-law enforcement in the village. It was signed by 75 Bayfield residents. In his reply, McKeough said there appeared to he a "disinclination" on the part of the village to act on violations of the zoning by-law. He warned that the provincial government's policy of not interfering in municipal affairs depended heavily on the desire and ability of municipal bodies to manage their own affairs to the satisfaction of those who elected them. A later question from Graham Beakhust „drew more accusations of harassment. Mr. Beakhust presented the petition .for the group at the May 5 meeting. On June 5, he asked whether they could expect a response soon. The reeve said that the village's lawyer was to respond through the lawyer for the petitioners, and he promised to check with the Village's lawyer again. At the council meeting of May 15, the reeve indicated that the petition had been turned over to the lawyer for the village, and that the lawyer would be in contact with the legal counsel for the petitioners very soon, or perhaps had already done so. On June 5, Reeve Oddleifson said he is tired of harassment by some ratepayers. He said he is upset by attacks on the zoning by-law, and defended it. He also stated it had been enforced "in -its entirety". Mr. Beakhust responded that the petitioners were not in any way at- tacking the by-law : "in fact, we consider it an exemplary by-law". He said he would remind council that "a law against murder is only effective as long as the police continue to catch people who kill people." The reeve said he would again contact the lawyer for the village and ask him to respond to the petitioners as soon as possible. Of garbage dump In further business, council agreed with a delegation from the Bayfield Lioness Club on a request to move the swings and other play equipment from the area of the municipal office, over to the park (Clan Gregor Square). The Lioness representatives reasoned that this would place the equipment in an area where it would get more usage, and at the same time save the expense of purchasing new equipment for the public park area, where it is needed. Council took steps to deal with the dog problem in the village, unanimously supporting Councillor Frank Burch's motion to retain Phillip Bradley of Brucefield as control of- ficer. There will also be a new policy of no dogs on the beach, with signs posted to that effect three English literature novels in Huron County high schools. In a public meeting organized by a concerned group opposed to the recent campaign to have the novels banned from county high schools parents, students, grandmothers and authors debated for almost three hours on the merit of the three novels or the reasons they should be removed from the list of approved high school textbooks. People came from the four corners of Huron and from areas outside its boundaries. Many came simply to witness the debate but became deeply involved as the audience ran the emotional gamut. Some wept openly. Some shouted. Some pleaded for cool heads to p, evail. Some argued and one man asked the audience to settle down. and listen to their hearts as he prayed. The meeting was arranged by a group opposed to the removal of the three novels — The Diviners by Margaret Laurence, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger — and to support their cause imported four noted w;tnadian authors to defend the hooks. June Callwood, a non fiction writer, In Hullett Pools must be fenced Residents of Hullett Township who what kind of fencing, its height, ana own swimming' pools will now be location around any privately owned required to make sure they are pool. adequately fenced, according to the In the busy' session, council also set township's new by-law which was the question for the liquor plebiscite to approved last week. be held in connection with this fall's The new requirements were passed municipal elections. into law on a motion by Greg Brandon The question is : Are you in favor of and Joe Hunking, the law stipulates the sale of spirits, beer and wine under a lounge licence for consumption on licenced premises? Council also instt-ucted their engineers, Burns Ross and Associates of Goderich to go ahead and call ten- ders for construction of a new township works building in the township at their an agreement for its use in 1978. earliest convenience. Some question was raised at the On a motion by Tom Cunningham Monday night meeting after it was and Joe Hunking, council decided to learned that Clinton pays $5 a head or take $5,000 instead tof a park from the 26' per cent on a population of 3,000 to developer of the Auburn subdivision. help in the operation of the landfill site. Council also will inform the Huron Councillor Armstrong pointed out County hoard of education that the that the rough figures showed that township is not interested in the based on six per cent per thousand property that is offered for sale. people, Clinton should only be paying 18 Council is calling for tenders on the per cent. Using those same figures, Taylor and Medd drains, and will hold Goderich should be paying somewhere court of revision on the Youngblut around 44 per cent based on their drain on July 3. population of 7,300 but in actuality the Council had no objection to the town is paying 48 per cent or $3.75 a severance application of Leonard head. , Archambault with written agreement Goderich Township has the lowest on line fences, and on a motion from cost for the site at $1 a head or five per Tom Cunningham and Joe Gibson, cent on a population of 2,200. The granted building permits to, Wilfred reason for this low cost is due to the Glazier, David Wildfong, Carl Merner, fact that the site is located in that Gerald Raidt, James Snell, Bruce township. Bayfield is 'also paying five Younghlut, .Iim Carter, Case Kuiper, per cent, but on a population of 800, John Wammes, Tom Whyte, Ken while Colborne Township pays 10 per Gibbings, Jack Flynn, and Alfred cent of the costs, based on a population Dykstra. figure of 1,600. Lucknow, the most recent municipality to use the `bite is paying $3.60 a head or on a population C Arena floor of 1,000, six per Bent. is delayedCouncillor Armstrong went on to saythat obviously the larger centres should pay more because they make more use of the site but she emphasized that Clinton is paying more than its share based on its population figures and cost per capita. Court-ci.1 accepted Councillor Arm- strong's observations and briefly discussed the consequences of not signing the new contract agreement between the other five municipalities and George Lavis. However, Mayor Lohh noted, "This should he pursued a little further. I don't think they want to lose us half as much as we want to he in it." II was also noted that one year's notice must he given if a municipality decided not to accept the agreement. With this information, council decided to approve the agreement with the additipnal note that a covering letter he sent to the Landfill Site Committee asking that the rates he reviewed at their next meeting in September. Council questions rate by Shelley McPhee Despite the fact that Councillor Rosemary Armstrong noted to Clinton Council that Clinton is probably paying more than its share for the use of the waste disposal site in Goderich Township, the council decided to sign Last week, we detailed in this space the amount of work the fair board puts into their spring fair each year and we wondered if all those" volunteer hours were always worth it The past weekend, we were equally amazed at the number of hours another service club donates to the Community, particularly the Kinsmen,and Kinettes. A run down of the club's schedule for June alone leaves me dizzy. For example, they started off the month running the tractor pull and beer garden at the spring fair, which netted them roughly $3,000. Then they wined and dined some 800 persons at their beef barbecue last weekend, realizing $4,000. This weekend they start running the Raceway, as the qualifiers get prepared for the race cards, which start next weekend, June 25, and run each weekend until October 1. On top of all that, they had two full meetings each this month, including a full in' 'aRation night, ran a Stanley Cup draw and had several work bees preparing for the above mentioned events. I get tired just watching them. Which all goes to prove that the community volunteer is still one of our most valuable assets, whether he or she be with the fair board, the Kinsmen, the meals on wheels, a UCW or any one of the dozen other "p'eof le helping people" organizations. +++ Even though the local gardens had a near brush with Jack Frost several of the past mornings, no damage was caused that we heard of, and the rain on Monday was very welcome indeed (except if you just cut your hay). Summer officially gets underway next Wednesday, June 21 and shortly thereafter, the annual migration from the schoolhouse to the beach will take place. What is so rare as a day in June? For one thing, a plain white T-shirt with no message on it. +++ The response to our clip -out and mail in newspaper survey has been excellent, with several dozen already received here at the office. The survey will he published for the last time this week, so we urge you to sit down for a few minutes and let us know what you think of the "local rag." + + + Clinton firemen were called out Wednesday morning to the estate of Joe Wetchter, when a minor fire broke out. No damage was caused, however, to the home on Highway 8, just on the town's easterly limits. + ++ The Clinton old -boys slow -pitch baseball team slightly humbled the Hydro team 15-11 last week in a hard fought contest, and are now looking forward to battling the Legion Associates, ringers or not. The replacement of the arena floor at the Clinton Community Centre will he delayed until mid-August, the Clinton recreation committee decided on Thursday night. On advice from their engineer, the rec committee decided to delay the start bf the floor replacement plan until August 21 to let as much frost as possible out of the ground. The ice could still be put in in late Octutci Iii Liiiie lv► tiie hockey season. The rec committee decided because of the delay, they could give the floor to the Country Singles for an A`hgust 21 dance, who will donate all of their profits to the arena floor fund. The committee also hopes to have the Hell drivers. All 'the playground and pool staff have been hired and operations will % <:::mmence late in June. Alice Munro , a fiction writer, Janet Lunn a children's writer and Steve Osterlund, a poet, composed a panel that keynoted the debate and each was given ten minutes to outline reasons the books should not he removed from approved lists of textbooks. Munro 's comparison of the alleged pornographic material in the novels to material in The Bible sparked an audience reaction that began to resemble a faith healing session. She used several stories from the Bible to make her point that, when taken out of context and highlighted by someone suggesting the book is por- nographic, exerpts from ma 'y books, the Bible included, could be grouped with the three English texts. Monroe pointed out that if she lifted exerpts from the Bible and was angry about them she could list them, mimeograph them and send them around to people and have them think the hook con- tained nothing but "sexual escapades". She made it clear that she loved and respected the Bible and was not suggesting it was pornographic. She explained that the story of King David 'and Bethsheba could not have been told in the Bible unless the writer was not explicit in his depiction of David's development. "You couldn't say he and Bethsheba were good friends," she said. She said a serious writer has a responsibility to get as close as possible to the "shifting, complex realities of human experience". She explained that to depict a character in a book the writer has to say what the character would say.`The writer has to "have the character talking". •She said the exercise is not an attempt to please people or offend them but to allow the reader to become, familiar with the character. Steve Osterlund told the audience it was vital to permit writers, artist and musicians to work freely. He said the artist cannot be asked to write something to please a group of people because that is an impossible task.He said the writer can't be concerned about people's reaction to his work but can only hope that his efforts "move" a reader emotionally. He said he respected people's right to accept or 30 cent:5 reject an author's work but not their request to have him write a certain way. The London poet said he wouldn't ask a musician to write music without using drums which have a "primitive sexual rhythm". He wouldn't ask an artist to paint a picture without "using the color red" and would not ask a ballerina to perform a dance "without showing her crotch". He said "he is- not expected to write but chooses to write". • Janet Lunn told the audience she felt art was the "truth of the human spirit". She said she did not feel children would be adversely affected by material in the,n,ovels pointing out that well written books permit readers to share emotions with the author and learn of the complexities of human feelings. Lunn said the alleged pornographic material was a description of a "very ordinary part of human Fife ... if it weren't we wouldn't be.here". June Callwood said she was very "sympathetic" towards parents in the audience whose children are being "exposed to something the parents wish they wouldn't see". She said parents raise their children with the hopes that they can instill in the youngsters the moral standards that they believe in. She said it is very difficult when the children come to a point in their lives when they go out the door and tilde parents are left with nothing to do but wait and see if that teaching was successful. r Turn to page 3 • • Weather 1978 1977 HI LO HI LO JUNE 6 24 5.5 61 46 7 20.5 13 54 . 38 8 12 7 59 36 9 18.5 3 61 37 10 26 4 68 39 11 28 15 72 41 12 25 8 68 54 Rain 35.3 No Rain J Nearly 800 people turned out for roast beef and dancing at the Kinsmen and Kinettes barbecue last Saturday night in 'the.Clinton arena. The affair realized nearly $4,000 in profit for the grandstand fund. Here Larry Jones, one of the many volunteers, slices off beef tor the hungry hordes. (News -Record photo)