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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1979-08-30, Page 3ro, 4' Pe. in rofile by Shelley McPhee If you see a car swerving off the road into a sidewalk or ditch while the driver and passenger are busy looking in another direction, chances are, you've just seen Rob Cornish and Heather Hunter at work. "We've turned into terrible' drivers," Heather jokingly admitted, "we're always looking athouses. No Heather and Rob aren't house hunting,each ' has their separate personal lives, but in business the two :on homes will be rem a.re hunting to save homes, and Heather have become -involved m specifically those with unique a detailed study of Clinton's older historical or architectural value. homes. With this, they research the Heather is the chairman of Clin- homes for their architectural ton's Local ArchitecuraLConservancy characteristics and past history. Data Advisory Cornmittee. (LACAC), and is compiled on each house and related Rob, a University of Waterloo BA each week" in a column in. the News - grad in honors . historyand an- Record. Files 'are being kept on the thropology, has been hired under an homes studied, for future use by Experience '79 program 'to collect LACAC or any interested individual. data on some, of Clinton'sc, historic •buildings, / • . The files will be kept under LACAC . As part of this summer work, Rob supervision: until a suitable' place is "•7:•;•.'"'• • Heather Hunter, left, and Rob Cornish look over just orre of the some 50 historical homes in Clinton as part of their LACAC survey. They run into all kinds of deadends when trying to trace down the background of the homes, as many times records have been lost 'or destroyed. (News - Record photo) • Sheardown sentenced to one year... • from page 1 treatment his probation officer °feels police officer in Goderich for 19 years necessary during that probation. and had known Sheardown since he Sheardown is also prohibited from 4: was "knee high to a grasshopper". He said Sheardown had no criminal record and had given police no problems in the. past. He said when Sheardown carne-tO the police station earlier that day he appeared- agitated and after telling police about the irceident at the golf • from page 1 course said "a man in his right 'senses as he arrived on the scene, He don't do those things". couldn't get into the house to save Sheardown's lawyer, Jim Donnelly, anything because of the -intense heat. described his client as a quiet person He got a trailer for the Flynns to live that had led a sheltered existence. He in temporarily within hours after the said he felt Sheardown was suffering blaze. from a problem he couldn't deal with. "He's a wonderful neighbor. How The situation became very "tense and do you ever repay a man like that?" volatile" and when Bacon opened the says Mrs. Flynn. door fast Sheardown fired in a reflex Mrs. Flynn doesn't know if an' action. He said he felt the accused fired benefit dances have been planned for through the doorway rather than at a her family but she says that all their person. friends and neighbors have just been He said Sheardown's action indicated wonderful, bringing food and clothes. he wanted to die at the hands of the Despite a number of unfortunate police. He made no effort to detain incidents this year the Flynns remain employees at the Manpower Centre an optimistic family, Their eight - and insisted that they call the police. year-old son Norris had a near fatal He said his statement at the police accident earlier in the year when he 44. using. or having in his possession any firearms, ammunition or explosive substance for five years. lynn house fire... station after the incident indicated he was remorseful about what he had done. Judge William Cochrane sentenced Sheardown to one year in jail. He said the sentence was not designed as a deterrent but to allow Sheardown to "rehabilitate himself and be rehabilitated so that when he-coines out of jail he will be better able to cope with every day living". Judge Cochrane, said there was no purpose to the whole exercise Shear- , down went through that a normal person could perceive. He said the incident was not planned or premedifated4but was a way of ending a depression. The one year jail term also carries a two year probation. Judge Cochrane strongly recommended that Shear - down receive ‘whatever psychiatric Record flower exhibit... • from page 1 Junior Gardeners, and Michael Pullen won the Mary Jamieson award for being second. In the elementary school classes, Shawn McClinchey and Elizabeth Brandon tied for first place and took home Bank of Montreal awards, while Scott McClinchey was second and got the Marion McCann award, and Jeff Powell and Lori Brandon were third and received Marg Sloman awards. OPEN HOUSE THIS Sat., Sept. 1 ST. at - P.M. Came and see our omplete Cake Decorating Supplies Free Cake and Coffee. Served Inquire about our Cake Decorating Lessons! CHESSELLIS GENERAL ISRUCEFIIELD ON AltiO `• • , fell under a tractor and Mr. Flynn broke his leg in two placesin June. But even with the fire now added to • those two accidents, Mrs. Flynn hasi, come to accept Norris' philosophy. He says, "God is just giving us all the bad now so we can enjoy all the good when it comes." CLINTON N NYS=_RCORD , THURSDAY, ALIOUST 30, 1979r—PAGt er d by intereste foundto situate them, like an arcilives room. " I expected to be a supervisor this summer, but I've gotten very in- olved. It's so fascinating," Heather explained. The job involves more than just studying the home itself. Heather and Rob spent many hours at the Clinton Library, the regional library. at the University of Western Ontario and the Clinton Cemetery. It is from these sources that deeds, .birth notices, deaths and any information on the people that built or lived in Clinton's old homes are discovered. "We spent a lot of time at the cemetery since the town's death records are in such bad shape," Heather smiled. "There's not much information available at the town hall but there's a lot at the regional library, like assessment rolls and voters lists from the 1800's." There are at least 50 buildings that could be studied and Heather hopes to carry on the historical res.earch in the fall with help from other LACAC members. "I never realized how much ar- chitecture Clinton had until we started looking," Heather said. Rob- explained further, "The so called mansions in Clinton are scattered around' town which shows that there weren't as many social cliques as in other municipalities. In Goderich, for in -stance, there's a definite social connection between the big houses and the lake bank." There's more to older homes than just massive structures of brick and wood. Beyond the surface ginger- bread trim, , the mansard roofs", the open staircases and the marble fireplaces, a picture of life decades ago can be sketched. "Some of these old homes where definitely built to be Selen," Rob ex- plained. "People had pride, and their homes reflected this. They spent more time on the small details, like exterior and interior trim, to make their homes an individual creation, These will never be built, again. They'd be too expensive and today it's so different. Now you can have a home delivered to your door." He went on, "The home. 100 years ago was much more central to the people and the family. Maybe that's a sad commentary on society today. Families did not go out five nights a week. Life was oriented around the home and entertaining, like garden parties and dances were held in the home." "I'm not saying that reflects a better way of life," he added. • Heather suggested, "Some people are getting back to that now. In rnoderp homes many have a big family room." Although some LACAC groups have gained the unfair reputation that they'll save any building that's 100 years old, Rob and Heather defend this. group "Some places are just too run down to restore, but you have to make sure, that what you're getting rid of is not historically outstanding,"Heather said. "Even if photographs are taken before it is , demolished, .then you'll have some record of the past," Rob stressed. "If people ar-e-interested in old buildings they look at them as what they can be. Others look at the buildings in their present state and say 'Good Grief'," Rob laughed. "A lot of people prefer to build new homes. They find it easier to work with new materials," he said un- derstandingly. Then voiced, "But is seems ridiculous to tear something down when it can be adapted. Not many people realize that most older buildings are adaptable. It's more financially sound to renovate an ofder building than it is to construct a new one." • A knowledgeable source on older buildings, Rob explained, "In the cities it's now a prestigious address to have an old building, it's 'Heritage Chic." Doctors and lawyers locate in such buildings. The older houses invite people in they seem more hospitable than a cement or steel _structure," In many municipalities, including Goderich and Bayfield,, a main fun- ction of LACAC is to designate certain structures or portions of homes as historically or architecturally im- portant. Other than the town hall and the library, designation has not been attempted in Clinton. Rob stated, "People are scared of designation. They think they'll have to repaint their eir home or put on a cedar shingl4 roof. Once a building is designated, LACAC does not have the power to tell an owner what to do, All LACAC can do is tomake suggestions to the owner in case he wants to make - radical changes, like putting pictures. windows in the front." Heather added, "We can't stop people from making changes, we can only deter them for about three months, during which time we talk about the changes, why they're being done, and try to find if there are any alternatives that wouldn't destroy the original character of the home. LACAC's trying to get books in to help people with restoration of their old homes." She also noted, "LACAC doesn't often designate an entire home, but only exceptional "portions like a staircase, style of fireplaces, beautiful plaster and cornice work or outside trim, for instance." Heather and Rob are discovering in their tours of Clinton homes many instances of architectural beauty. The thing to do now is to convince other people that such history and architecture is important and valuable. "This is a whole new concept in North America," Rob noted. "Canada's heritage is very new. They would probably laugh in Europe at what we call heritage buildings," Heather joked. 3 But, as it stands, these buildings do reflect Canada's past and Heather and Rob are attempting a small, but worthy effort to have these remembered: ONE PERSON PIZZA 99 SMALL PIZZA 3.99$ MED. PIZZA 4.99 LARGE PIZZA 5 . 9 9 ALL DELUXE INCLUDES CHEESE, PEPPERONI HAM, MUSHROOMS, ONION, GREEN PEPPERS, & BACON factory HOURS: SUN.. THURS. 4 P.M.,12 MID. FRI, SAT. 4 PM 2 A.M. • I .1 DOG CHOW Purina - U KG. Bag Regular $7.25 Purina - 10 KG. Bag CAT CHOW Purina - 10 KG. Bag SEANIP DINNER Purina -4 KG, - Your Choke of CAT CHOW OR DAIRY DINNER Purina • 4 KG. - Reg. '4.99 SEANIP DINNER Reg. 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