Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1978-06-29, Page 1, 9' Fire last Saturday afternoon caused at least $15,000 damage to the home of Roy Vodden at Summerhill, three miles east of Clinton on Huron Road 8. A grease fire was blamed for starting the blaze, which caused extensive damage to the home, which was the former general store in Summerhill before it was closed about 10 years ago. (photo by Steve Cooke) fires destroy buildings Two more fires in the area last week thave caused heavy property losses, bringing the number of serious fires to three in the area in 10 days. Last Saturday afternoon, fire heavily damaged a home owned by Roy Vodden in Summerhill, about four miles north of Clinton on Huron Road 8. The fire alarm was turned in at 1 p.m. by Brian Mustard, but because 1 p.m. Saturdays is the usual time for testing the alarm, the siren had to be sounded again to get the Clinton volunteers to the scene. The fire which caused damage estimated at between $15,000 and $20,000 started in the kitchen of the old house, which once served as the General Store in Summerhill. Roy Vodden, who still owns the house, ran the store from 1952 to 1967 when he closed it and said Tuesday that it -was a store long before he took over. Mr. Vodden is presently building a new home behind the old store, and had planned on tearing down the old house when the new house was completed. The Clinton Fire Department was first at the blaze, and called for assistance from the Blyth fire department's tanker when water ran short. Another fire late last Monday night, June 19 completely destroyed a barn on the farm of Brian Wilson 11/ miles east of Brucefield. No livestock or equipment was lost in the blaze;' which was discovered about 11 p.m. by a passerby. Brucefield firemen were called to the blaze, but Area farmer dies in mishap Norman Cecil Cartwright, 36, of RR 1, Londesboro was killed suddenly last Wednesday when he was overcome by methane fumes while working in his barn. Mr. Cartwright, a lifelong resident of the area, had entered his barn about 9 a.m. and was found unconscious about an hour later. He had been working around the entrance to a tank of liquid manure located under the barn and it is believed that poor ventilation com- bined with the humid air caused the death. • Constable Doug Spit/ig of the Goderich detachment of the OPP said that an autopsy conducted in Stratford revealed that he had been asphyxiated. Mr. Cartwright is survived by his wife Florence and two sons John and Claude, both at home. He is also sur- vived by two brothers, Howard of Londesboro and Keith of London. Born on July 26, 1941 he is the son of the late Cecil Cartwright and %dith first column There appears to be a great deal of confusion over the upcoming holiday weekend. Because July 1 this year falls on a Saturday and Canada's birthday is now celebrated on the day on which it falls, most businesses will be closed on Saturday. However, for those who usually have Saturday off anyway, many companies are giving them either Friday as a holiday or Monday. Locally, all the businesses are required to be closed on Saturday because of the law with the ex- ception of tourist oriented stores, while the banks will be closed on Monday. We understand other government offices will be open on Monday, such as the post office, so there won't be any service on Saturday. • All Clinton buginesses will be open on Friday and as for Monday, "you pays your money and takes your chances." Excepi for the horse races and a few ball games, there are no Canada Week celebratiyns in Clinton again this year, so if you want something to do, you'll have to journey over to Bayfield for the Pancake Breakfast on Sunday or to Goderich or to Seafortth for one of those town's It seems a shame that we can't do at least s.omething in town. Don't you think that it would be an ideal weekend for a Dutch -Canadian festival, given the large number of people of that extraction living here? +++ Cartwright of Huronview. He was married to Florence Rinn in Beigrave in 1965. He was well known in the community as a member of the Londesboro United Church and was a Cub leader for three years. He was also a member of the Londesboro Masonic Lodge AF and AM No. 568. The funeral service was conducted at Ball Funeral Home in Clinton on June 23 with Rev. Stan McDonald in charge. Interment followed in the Clinton cemetery. A guard of honor was formed by the Londesboro Cub Pack and the pallbearers were Hugh Flynn, Wayne Kennedy, Gerrit Wilts, Ted Overholt, Jim Carter and Mark Kennedy. The flower bearers were Clifford Adams, Bruce Roy and John Spence. Along with the service, the Masonic Lodge held a memorial service in Londesboro on Thursday evening, June 22. by jim fitzgerald Albert Street office, on nearly the exact spot where a car hit last year. It seems a car, owned by congenial Moe Hill of Varna, who is also the Kinsman Raceway's racing secretary, popped out of gear, rolled across the street and jumped the curb and hit the wall of Garnet's office. Damage is estimated at $500. Actually, Moe was in the News - Record office at the time and it proved embarrassing to both Moe. and I when we received a phone call telling us of the wandering car. +++ Those who are in favor of banning those books in our high schools, ought to take a trip to Stratford and see Shakespeare's "Merry Wives of Windsor" and they'd soon have it taken off th,e course of study as well. The rucdus, funny and at times "dirty" play would surely' qualify as smut. Anyway, our party thoroughly enjoyed it, as did the many other people from Clintbn and area who we ran into at the Festival Theatre. +++ A warning from the Ontario Hydro office, who have threatened to cut my hydro off if I didn't mention it, I offer the following. 'Yes, the Hydro's Clinton office "edged" Clinton's highly esteemed slow -pitchers something like 27-17 last week. W,..g only lost because Hydro had some "free agents" and a couple of "hall of famers" playing for them, but rest assured, we'll take the third and deciding ga me in the fun series. + Our "what's -sauce -for -the -goose - is -sauce -for -the -gander" award this week goes to Clinton town council, Lightening never strikes the same who erected no parking signs along spot twice, the old saying goes, but one side of Mill and Beech Streets you'll never convince Garnet Crowe for the races last -Sunday, but take of that. them out for anything else going on Wednesday morning, for 'the at the park. Seems strange indeed. second time in less than a year, a Maybe they don't want any industry driverless car struck Garnet's left in town. 4 found the barn an inferno when they arrived. Brian had just bought the farm from his father, Doug, last year, and was in the process of fixing it up. Damage to the 40 by 80 foot structure is estimated at $10,000 and the loss was partially covered by insurance. Faulty wiring is blamed. A third fire on June i 7.°completely destroyed the Clinton Livestock Sales Barn, causing damages estimated at $75,000. Flea market set for Bayfield By R.J. Thompson Bayfield will have a flea market this year again, Saturdays through July and August. It will be held on a lot south of the Woollen Shop on Main Street. Organizer Alex Shevchuk was present at the meeting of village council on Monday, June 19, to request approval for the enterprise and answer questions on the size of the market and the type of goods to be offered. There was general agreement that the market last year was an asset for all village merchants, drawing more people to the business section. Council members voiced some concern over parking problems encountered last summer -- mainly with the vendors' vehicles taking up space for customers. Mr. Shevchuk agreed to speak to the individual vendors and have them park off the main street. It was also decided that.in fairness to other businesses operating in ,the village, each vendor will be charged a $25 fee to participate in the market. The market will open for the season on Saturday, Jyly 1. Reeve Oddleifson reported that the village's lawyer wants more in- formation from council before replying to the petition presented by a group of ratepayers May 5th, requesting stricter by-law enforcement. Letters were received from. Esther Makins, on the condition of the street behind the United Church, and from William Hart, on the dumping of garbage in a ravine near the south end of Tuyll Street. Mr. Hart complained of the animals being attracted to the site; he also noted an unpleasant stench from decaying refuse. Council decided to erect a "No Dumping" sign, and hopes for co- operatin from anyone observing of- fenders using the ravine as a disposal pit. Council turned down a request from the Huron County Historical Society for a grant to help the society carry on its lvnrk ThP 'orjPty dor,. not receive a J)1 grant from the county council. Reeve Oddleifson explained that i't is the village's policy to support the Bayfield Historical Society. The Ontario Municipal Board ad- vised of a hearing to be held at the Bayfield Municipal Building on Monday, August 21, regarding the proposed change of ' the land for the Ducharme subdivision from developmental to residential. Two building permits were granted: Blue Anchor, washrooms, $32,000; Gail Grant, addition for a dining room, $2,500. egion band heads south Apparently, the Americans know a good thing when they hear it, and the Ontario Massed Pipe Band has been invited to play in the Parade of Car- nations, at San Francisco in Sep- tember. The massed band, of which the Clinton Legion Pipe band is a member, will be staying in California from September 22 to 26 with the other seven Legion bands. The Clinton band, as part of the Massed pipe and drum band, attended the Tournament of Roses" in Pasadena last .Tnnu ary and were so well received, they were invited back. The bands were honored last week at a dinner in Toronto, when nine members of the Clinton band and their wives attended. A representative from the Orange Bowl in Miami presented them with a plaque for being the first place band, and an official from the Rose Bowl parade presented each band with a framed picture, and the republic o - Mexico presented a scroll in ap- preciation of their playing in that country. 113th year —No. 26 Thursday, June 29, 1978 30 cents Auto Workers sue MPP Riddell Huron -Middlesex Member of the legislature, Jack Riddell is being Sued by the United Auto Workers, over alleged comments he made over the strike at the Fleck Manufacturing plant in Huron Park. A lawyer for the UAW, Lennox MacLean, told the Ontario Legislature's procedural affairs committee last week that a writ of summons has been issued in the Ontario Supreme Court. The committee has been holding a hearing into a complaint by Riddell that his privileges as an MPP have been breached by the UAW Riddell complained early last April that his privileges had been violated by the UAW and it served him with a notice of intent to sue under the Libel and Slander Act and when it applied to the Ontario Labor Relations Board for consent to prosecute him under ,the Labor Relations Act. MacLean spent more than four hours one day last week giving the union's defence to the MPP's complaint. In the course of his submission to the committee, he read into the record the particulars of the writ. He said outside the committee that the issuance of the writ means the action has been started, and "we ex- pect in due course it will be served." The writ claims "actual, con- sequential and punitive" damages on behalf of the union;'four of its officers and Local 1620. It alleges that Riddell issued to the kpress and the news media "defamatory and false statements." Statements by Riddell, it says, were intended to mean or imply or would be interpreted to mean or imply that the UAW used "illegal, deceitful, fraudulent and intim idatory methods -and means" to btain membership cards from employees of Fleck Manufacturing Co. and that it "fraudulently and illegally" used the cards to obtain bargaining rights for those workers. Despite late spring The writ also alleges the statements Were intended to mean or imply or would be so interpreted that the plaintiffs as officers and organizers of the union "used illegal threats and physical intimidation and illegal means" to persuade Fleck workers to strike and that the union wasn't a' "credible organization" and didn't represent the interest of Fleck em- ployees. Further, it alleges that defamatory statements by Riddell have interfered with and caused serious prejudice to the position of the union as bargaining agent, have interfered with collective bargaining and contributed to prolonging the strike MacLean told the committee in his 66 -page defence on the privilege issue that the 19th -century Ontario legislators who wrote the law on parliamentary privilege never in- tended it should give MPP's immunity from civil action. "It is submitted that while there are sound and necessary reasons for the existence of parliamentary privilege, the scope and extent of the privilege is finite," his submission said. If the committee accepted Riddell's argument that he should be immune from civil action during the session of the house and 20 days before or after. MacLean said, the limitation period governing many civil actions would Crop officials optimistic Aside from a few proverbial flies in the ointment, crop watchers in Huron County, and farmers are being op- timistic about the outlook for the county's crop. Mike Miller, associate agricultural representative for Huron, said on Tuesday that over all, things look pretty good as far as Huron's two main crops, corn and beans are concerned, despite the later than average spring. He said the corn crop is advancing well, despite some cold weather earlier in June, and weed control is much better this year than last. But the weed control is so good in the' white bean, and soya bean crop, that some damage is being caused to scattered stands in the county. "It appears to be some herbicide damage, caused by cool and wet conditions," he said. Miller, in fact, said the white bean crop would only be fair this year. The poorest harvest conditions in 30 years last fall resulted in a poor seed crop, and Miller said there has been poor germination in some stands. As well, some fields are suffering Rose show a hit Even though spring was three weeks later this year than last, and it lookt;d for awhile last week like there wouldn't be a good showing, Clinton Hor- ticultural Society Rose Show organizers were pleasantly surprised last Friday with a good show. Florence Pullen, convenor of this year's show, said she was "really happy" with the turnout at the show. The number of adults exhibitors jumped to 35 this year from the 25 of last year, and there was 171 adult entries, compared to 151 of 1977. There was also an increase in the children's classes, with 11 children showing 21 entries, compared to seven and 14, respectively. of last year. A rose grown by Mrs. J.W. Counter of Clinton was picked the champion rose of the show, and she received the hank of Montreal cash award. Mrs. Counter was also awarded the Royal Bank's Silver rose howl for collecting the highest number of points, while Mrs. A. Barnett took home the Clinton Credit. Union Award for the second highest point total. Viola Nelson of Clinton took home the Red Rose Tea Company trophy for having Lill,' ut-JL i t-LI1 toL' show, and received the K.C. Cooke voucher for collecting the third highest number of points. The Grace Middleton Memorial Award for the best arrangement in the show was won by Mrs. Barnett, and Mrs Counter won the bronze medal from the Canadian Rose Society for gathering the most points in the rose classes. Mrs. Margaret Anderson won the Florence Pullen cash award for having hest potted plant in the show. ( Weather 1978 1977 141 1 O HI LC) JUNE 20 27.5 9 71 51 21 22 14 72 44 22 23 7.5 76 43 23 19 7 78 48 24 24 5 82 56 25 29 11 78 59 26 23 19 79 53 No Rain No Rain from cut worm damage, and herbicide damage. ;'I've been busy running all over the county this week looking at the (white) beans, but it's too late now to rip them up and plant something else," Miller said. He said that the alfalfa weevil damage didn't get out of hand this year, and for the most part, farmers harvested an excellent first cut. But just like last year, rainfall amounts very wildly across the county, with the south end of the county needing a good soaking rain, while the north end doesn't want any until haying is done. mean a citizen would be deprived altogether of his right to take action against an MPP. He told the committee the UAW had six weeks in which to send a notice of intent to Riddell, and had to commence the action within three months. He said the writ was issued on the eve of the expiry date. Riddell's lawyer, James Bullbrook of Sarnia, argued Monday that the legal limitation period wouldn't start until the 21st day after the house rose so a citizen wouldn't be' deprived of his rights. However, he said, if the com- mittee disagreed with his in- terpretation, it should recommend a change in the law to protect citizens' rights. MacLean said Bullbrook's argument that the UAW application to the labor relations board was also a breach of privilege had serious ramifications. MacLean said the labor relations board matter is a quasi -criminal proceeding from which Riddell has no immunity under the privilege section of the legislative assembly act. The striking workers at Fleck received some financial assistance last week, plus a moral boost from the UAW's top official Robert White. A $10,000 donation was received from one union, while another $2,000 is ex- pected from the re'eipts of a play presented in Torono on Monday by a group of Toronto actresses. People lined up for tickets to the Turn to page 3 There was an excellent showing at this year's Rose Show, sponsored by the Clinton Horticulture Society, despite a cool and late spring that n'rany felt might hurt the show. But entries were up, and here Iia Cudmore examines a few of the many excellent roses in the show. (News -Record photo)