HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1979-01-04, Page 16PAGE 16-C'L 'NTQN NEWS -RECORD, THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 1979
A backwardiook at'1978
July: Clinton taxes rise ¶mly s1ight1y
July 6,1978
Municipal taxpayers in
Clinton. received good
news again th.s year,
when for the second year
in a row, Clinton council
has held the line on taxes.
At a sPecial meeting
last Tuesday night,"
council passel their 197$
budget that will see'taxes
go up by only one per
cent.
For the average public
school residential tax-
payer with a 13-,000
assessment, the° 3.6 mill
increase will mean taxes
will go up $10.8$ to $517.75
from last year's $506.90.
In fact, taxes in Clinton
are the same 'as in 1975,
mostly because of a seven
mill drop last year.
t The total budget for the
town this year is
$1,257,235 compared to
$1,208,880 last year,
mainly due to increases
of $22,000 in the education
and county levels.
-A committee of the
Ontario Legislature
found the United Auto
Workers (UAW) guilty.of
having .breached the
privilege of the MPP for
Huron -Middlesex, a
decision some legal
experts warn has ., far-
reaching consequences
for the rights of citizens
and MPPs. .
The decision 'of the .4-3
vote went against the
advice of the committee's
lawyer who concluded the
union hadn't violated the
parliamentary privilege
of Rick Riddell.
The committee also
voted to recommend that
the legislature take -no
action .against ' the UAW
over the breach.
Countywide residency
for senior citizen housing
will be put into effect as
soon as possible in 21 out
of Huron County's 26
municipalities.
The decision was
reached at the Huron
Countycouncil meeting
on June 30 and only the
townships of Stephen,
Howick,. Morris and Grey
and the village` of
Brussels will note par=
ticipate, reasoning that
'the present arrangement
is suitable for them.
Thechange to coun-
tywide is unlikely to
create a difference in
what the participating
municipalities are paying.
to support their senior
citizen housing. Under
the new agreement, they
will pay on a per -capita
basis a 7.5 per cent share
of any 'operating deficit
for the 237 units involved.
Despite a. promising
start, the Bayfield Flea
Market got off to a slow
beginning on July 1.
Although the patrons,
were out, only three
vendors showed up for
the first. week of the
market, situated on the
lot south of the Woollen
Shop.
According to organizer
Alex Shevchuk, the major
reason for the poor
turnout was due to the
fact that Bayfield council °
has set a $25 participation
*fee on the vendors before
their booths may be
opened.
However the seasonal
fee, which is stated in a
village bylaw, also allows
the vendors to operate as
any other business. and
,they may set up any day
of the week, not only the
scheduled Saturdays
when the marketwill be
officially operated.
Well over 200 people
attended a special bir-
thday party in Lon-
desboro on Wednesday
when the United Church
Manse celebrated its
100th anniversary.
People from
throughout the Huron -
Perth Presbytery and the
local community at-
tended -the open house,
had a tour of the old brick
house and`took part in the
official ceremonies. •
Inspections
• July 13, 1978
Although they delayed
full, implementation of 'a
new bylaw, Clinton
council Monday night
decided to get tough on
the building inspection.
By . this fall, council
hopes to have adopted the
Ontario Building Code.
and will' have frequent
and regular inspections
of all buildings in 'town,
But, until they get their
full bylaw passed, and
fulltime inspections are
carried out, council
passed an interim,mbtion
requiring all building
permit seekers to prove
the lot lines before they
build, either with a new
or old survey.
The problem arose over
the number of minor
variances to the town's
zoning bylaw when
owners find their
buildings don't conform
to the town's laws.
Leroy DeJong, 23 and
David Fawcett, 17, both
of Bayfield, were both
killed Anstantly on
SaturdJuly 8 when the
1976 Corvette DeJong was
driving collided- head-on
with a half -ton camper
truck from Michigan.
The early morning
shccident occurred after
the DeJong - vehicle,
travelling northbound
along Highway 21, at the
Bayfield Bridge, crossed
the road into the path of
the southbound camper.
The six -occupants of the
camper were all sent to
hospital, five of them
receiving major injuries.
The .Pied Piper of
Hamlin has nothing on
the "Gum Man" of
Bayfield.
The Pied Piper- had to
resort to music to lure all
the children to him but
the "Gum Man" although
very musical himself,
only has to look at the
children, reach into his
pocket and produce 'a
stick of chewing gum.
The 'children from
Bayfield and the area
know him by sight
anywhere and at no time
are they very disap-
pointedathim not having
any gum as he seems to
have an endless supply
that he shares with all the
youngsters and the older
"children" as well.
About a year ago some
of the villagers decided
that the "Gum Man"
should be recognized by
the gum company or at
least the gum company
should know about him.
A letter waswritten to
them telling about the
"Gum Man" who . was
giving away gum to all
the children who come
into Brandon's Hardware
where he is employed; on
the street where he sees
or meets the children; at
(July 20) - Jeff Hearn and Mark Baker led the Clinton team in the bed races on
Friday evening. The team placed third in the event which was held in__con-
junction with Moonlight Madness. (News -Record photo) -
Riddell sued by UAW.
• from page 15
breached by the UAW.
Riddell complained
early last April that his
privileges hazl--"1ieen
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.
Even though spring
was three :weeks later
this year than last, and it
looked for awhile last
week like there wouldn't
'be a good showing,
Clinton Horticultural
Society Rose Show
organizers ' were
pleasantly surprised last
Friday with the gond
show.
Florence Pullen,
convener of this year's
show, said she was
"really happy" with the
turnout at the show, The
number ' ofadult
exhibitors jumped to 35
this year' from ` 25 last
year and there was 171
adult entries, compared
to 151.in 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.
Norman. Cecil Cart-
wright, 36, of RR1 Lon-
desboro wa's killed
suddenly last Wednesday
wheh he was overcome
by methane fumes while
working in his barn •
Mr. Cartwright, a life-
long resident df the area,
had entered his barn
about 9 a.m. and was
found unconscious about
ban 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 ven-
tilation combined with
the humid ,air caused the
death.
Constable Doug Spitzit
of the Goderich detach-
ment of the OPP saidthat
an autopsy revealed that
he had been asphyxiated.
Apparently the
Americans know a good
thing when they hear it
and the Ontario Massed
Pipe Band hs been ir1-
v4,ted to ply in the
• • •
Parade of Carnations in
San Francisco in Sep-
tember. '
The massed band, of
which the Clinton Legion
Pipe band. is a member,
will be staying in
California from Sep-
tember 22 to 26 with the
other seven Legion
Bands.
The Clinton band, as
part of the Massed Pipe
and Drum Band".... -.at-
tended the- Tournament of
Roses in Pasadena last
January and were so well
received that 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 pla t e' for being
thefirst place band and
an olfficial from the Rose
Bowl parade presented
e, each band with a framed
picture and the 'republic
of Mexico presented a
scroll in appreciation of
their playing in that
country. -
hockey tournaments and
functions in the village
and also at Sunday
School.
Last Tuesday,
Wrigley's Gum
representative Tam
Conbay, honored the
"Gum Man" Eric Earl by
presenting him with a
beautiful ashtray 'for his
contribution to the
Wrigley? Gum Company.
Taxpayers foot_ teacher
raise
Huron -taxes up
July 20,1978
Huron taxpayers will
be paying a higher tax
bill next year to foot the
cost of the county's 273
secondary school
teachersd awarded 6.75
percent salary increase.
The increase, was
awarded by David
Johnston, dean of law at
the University of Western
Ontario. He was ap-
pointed arbitrator by the
Huron County Board of
Education and the
Ontario Secondary School
Teachers Federation
(OSSTF) to resolve the
remaining monetary
issues after the 31 -day
strike lockout situation
ended April 13:
Board chairman John
Elliott saidthat the 6.75
percent increase works
out to be a total grid cost
to the board of 9.18
percent with -increments
for experience and
qualifications.
He said that:.. with the
grid cost a qualified
teacher achieving 10
years ' experience will
receive a $3,000 raise.
Education director'
John Cochrane said
taxpayers will be
responsible for 'the, over-
budgeted amount
because "anything over
'provincial ceilings is
picked • up 100 percent
locally."
However board
representatives refused
to say what the contract
. will cost, only that it is
over the amount the
board had budgeted for
teacher salary increases.
Construction has begun
on the first phase of
$600,000 expansion
program at the Bayfield
Boat Yard Ltd. in
Vanastra.
Company ° president,
Ted , Qozzard said that
when the expansion is
completed, within the
'next couple of years, 25
(July 27) - The old Corner Rec building at the
corner of Mary and Isaac Streets in Clinton is un-
dergoing renovations as Lia Christie and her
husband David of Brucefield are getting ready for
the opening day of their indoor farmer's nThitlret
located in the building. The Independent market Is
scheduled to open on Saturday, August 5 and run
every Saturday after that, year round. (News -
Record photo)
new jobs will be created.
Present staff is 50.
Madness must come
naturally, to Cfintonians
and area people,
-especially Moonlight
Madness, as the town's
two day event turned out
to be a booming success.
• Last Thursday and
Friday proved to be two
of the most productive
business days in -Clinton
for many merchants.
Despite a few stragglers,
most of the main street.
businessmen kept their
lights on and doors open
until midnight on both
evenings for avid bargain
hunters and late night
shoppers. L
Bed races along King
Street on Friday evening
attracted 500 to 600
people. A Seaforth team
took first prize of $50 -and
a trophy.
An additional crowd of
300 to 400- stood by to
watch the action later in.
the evening when nearly
100 people donned their
night clothes..and paraded
down the town's main
street for the midnight
shirttail parade: The
motely crew was led up
and down the main
street's of town by a less
than dignified looking
Clinton Legion Pipe
Band.
When asked whether
the business association
will attempt a similar
Moonlight .. Madness in
1979; Bob Campbell, one
of the organizers for the
event stated, "Well I
surely don't think we
should pull in our'horns
now,"
A stubborn fire resulted
in $50,000 to $75,000 in
damages in Vanastra on
Sunday evening when
Clinton and Brucefield
firemen were called out
twice to an empty
apartment building.
The building situated
behind Archer's Farm
Sales, was one of the
former sleeping quarters
when the Forces Base
was in operation. The fire
was sitlaated in the centre
floor of the -building and
three large rooms were
extensively damaged due
to smoke and water. The
cause of the blaze is
unknown.
ugust: Bell phases out big
August 3, 1978
The days of eight or ten
parties on one telephone
line are almost over in
the Clinton exchange,
local Bell Canada
Manager said last week.
A four-year,- $600
million program is now
underway throughout
Bell Canada territory t'b
introduce a four -party
maximum service on
rural" lines and make
available private or two-
party service to most
customers in the , rural
areas. ,
Conversipn to the
improved service is to
take place October ' 13,
Mr. Croome said.
Although no concrete
reason can be given by
area police forces, liquor
offences and seizures
have risen dramatically
over the past year.
Seventy-four' liquor
offences have been
recorded over the past
seven months of this year
by the Clinton Police
force, compared with 42
seizures at this time in
1977.
In,.Seafdrth to date., the
liquor offences have been
sent at 58, up con-
siderably from the 1977
figure of 2'8.
Constable Bill Wilson of
the -Goderich OPP ex-
plained that so far they
have reported 163 liquor
offences.. In 1977, ,the
year's total came to 199.
"It's definitely on the
upswing this year," he
commented. •
Similarly, the Goderich
Police force has over 105
offences recorded this
year, compared to 89 for
the sante time last year.
"1 don't k `ow wh it's
up, said hief John
Cairns of t e SeafOrth
FJ
Police, "It just seems
very popular for kids to
get beer and wine and
„drink around town in
their cars."
In case you missed it,
gasoline prices at most
pumps in town took a'
drastic 10 -cent jump on
Tuesday and now regular
is selling for 95.9 cents a
gallon, the highest ever.
The jump in prices also
marks the first time for
$1 a gallon gas in Clinton,
as premium is selling for
$1.04 a gallon.
The reason behind the
price rise is known only
to the 'oil company
executives,' as the local
dealers say they aren't
making .any more money
on a gallon than . they
were at 85.9.
Last Friday night at the
Clinton Comm -unity Park,
the' Walsingham Senators
ended the Clinton Colts'
nine game winning streak
by nipping the Colts 5 - 4
in ten innings. .
It was an excellent,
hard-fought game by both
teams, who'. seemed
evenly matched on the
eve of the opening of the
Ontario Baseball
Association playoffs.
Polio clinics
August 10, 1978.
The Huron County
Medical officer of Health
has strongly advised that
many area residents who
have not had their five-
year booster shots should
renew them within the
next few weeks.
,Dr, Brian Lynch,
Rain eases drought
July 27, 1978
A heavy shower last
week that dropped from
10 to 20 mm of rain on the
area, has prevented area
crops from drying up crops are standing up
anymore, but well in the dry weather is
agricultural officials and a combination of a good
farmers say they could spring and heavy clay
use another 50 mm of an soils.
all day rain before the -P' "We had a slow melt
-sit'ttation is back to this spring of a good snow
cover, and it's (the
water) all down there
waiting for the 'crops,"
MacIntosh said.
After a prolonged wait,
the Clinton recreation
committee is finally
taking definite steps to
replace the badly
cracked arena floor.
In what turned out to be
a small but urgent
meeting, last Wednesday
evening the rec com—
mittee learned that there
is only $3,500 in the bank
for a project that `has
Jim Macintosh of
Tuckersmith Township
anc irector of the Huron
Federation of Agriculture
said the reason the Huron
normal.
Clinton has only
received 10.5,mm of rain
since June 18," while '15.4
mm of rain has fallen at
the Goderich station.
Normal rainfall. for July
is 74.2 mm, according to
Goderich weather'
meterologist Graham
Campbell.
Only 61J mm fell in
June says Campbell,
compared with - an
average of 75.2 mm, so
it's been a dry summer so
far.
been under consideration
since at least. last Sep-
tember.
Although the coni-
mittee had earlier
planned to canvass for
the needed funds to 'help
install the new floor, no
further action was taken,
no definite cost was,
established and • sub,
sequently, no money for
the floor was set aside in
the town or rec budgets.
With anywhere from.
$40,000 to $100,000 of tax
'free dollars t� be raised
and deadline for tenders
set for August 3, the
committee was forced to
make an immediate
decision on where the
needed money would
come from.
Various service clubs,
individuals and the
townships offered needed
support to help raise the
funds.
(July 13): The car driven by LeRoy DeJong of Bayfield is pictured following an
accident that killed Mr. DeJong, 23, and a passenger, David Fawcett, 17, early
last Saturday morning north of Bayfield on Highway21. The Corvette valued at
$8,000 was a complete wreck. (photo by Richard Shaw)
(July 20) - Bayfield Boat Yard Ltd., in Vanastra is in the midst of'a giant three
phase expansion: The $600,000 expansion will create at least 25 new jobs and
increase production by some 50 percent. Phase one of the lengthy project was
begun last Wednesday. The company president, Ted Gozzard, right, goes over
the blueprints for -the first phase with construction superintendent Daniel
Hedley of MF Builders "and Designers, Staffa. (News -Record photo)
party lines
Huron County Medical
Officer of Health said
Tuesday, it was im-
portant for adults to
update their polio and
tetanus vaccinations in
view of the recent
discovery of a polio virus
in the Oxford County
area. ' "
•
The vast majority of
children •have already
been properly immunized
through clinics in schools
but any adults who have
ignored updating their
vaccinations should do
so.
There has been great
concern in Ontario since
it was confirmed that 15
Oxford County residents
are carrying a -polio
virus. The Huron County
Health Unithas received
several calls for Shots
and Dr. Lynch explained
(A gust 10) - The harvest of the winter wheat crop and the spring grain crops is
in full swing and for the first time in a number of years, many farmerstook off
their barley before their fallsown winter wheatYields are reported tg be
average in the barley, while the winter wheat crop, already way down in
acreage, shows'a wide variance of yield. Here a combine-worked.on afield of
Winter' wheat last Saturday on the farm of Gary kliaak.of RR 2, Clinton.,(News-
Record photo)
.'
that `extra vaccine has
been ordered and will be
distributed to physicians
in the Huron County area.
Fire raged througha
turnip wax -processing
plant near Hensall early
Saturday morning
causing a loss of an
estimated $'250;000.
'Vine •afficia.ls said. the
blaze was discovered
about 5:15 a.m. when a
neighbor, Richard Willert
of R.R. 2 Kippen was
awakened by an ex-
plosion.
There were 12 persons
employed at the plant_....
which had just started
waxing the new crop. In
peak Periods,- 14 - 16
persons are employed.
As well as -the building,
and some turnips, all
equipment was lost in-
cluding the waxing.
machinery,- a new
refrigeration system; a
lift truck, tWo 'tandem
trucks and a brand new
pick-up •truck. Also lost
was all the office
equipment, including
records and payroll.
Arena floor tender
awarded
August 17, 1978
The Clinton recreation
committee backed by the
town, council, awarded
the tender to -reconstruct
the arena floor at the
Clinton 'Community
Centre, but there is still
some doubt if the job will
,even be done this year. "
Council accepted the
tender of • C.A. McDowell.
Ltd„ of R.R. 2, Centralia
at a cost of $160,963
against the advice of the
engineer and their
solicitorand no one is
sure whether the Job will
even be done this year, or
wind up in a court battle.
'the confusion all
started two weeks ago
when the rec committee
accepted " the tender of
McDowell at a special
meeting on August 3. The
McDowell tender.' at
$160,963 was the lowest of
the three invited tenders
which included John,
Hayman and Sons
London at $202,648 and
Kelly-lyn Construction of
London at $199,860.
The acceptance of the
tenders was -subject to.
checking by the engineer
and approval by ., town
council, but then engineer
Bill Knowles of the-
London
heLondon firm of James F.
McLaren Ltd., Clinton's
engineers, told the town
that McDowell had made
a mistake in his tender
and forgot to include the
price of the hot.and cold
brine system and would
lose about $40,000 on the4
project.
Although neither the
council nor the engineer
had received written
confirmation of
McDowell's wish to with-
draw, engineer Knowles
told council that
McDowell wished to with-
draw his bid:
The engineers had
estimated that the job'
would cost a total of
$176,990-,-- which included
not only replacing the
arena floor with a new,
insulated floor, but also a
,hot brine system tq
prevent the frost from
going down again and
causing the floor to heave
badly.
Also in the contract was
a new drainage system ,
for the floor modification
to the west and east end
Turn tO page 17 •
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