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Clinton News-Record, 1979-11-01, Page 1• v Y. • Survives --- car crash A 21 year old Bayfield man walked away from this c1r with bruises after an ac- cident early Friday morning. Shortly after midnight Glencoe Jay Tofflemire of Sydenham Street in Bayfield was proceeding south on Highway 21 just north of the village when he lost control of the car and rolled it. According to OPP the car travelled 192 metres on two wheels on the west shoulder of the road, crossed the highway travelling another 40 metres, went into.a long curve for an additional 38 metres when a tire came off its rim. The vehicle then left the road airborne and struck a tree five feet off the ground, rolled once and finally came to a halt on its roof. No charges were laid in the incident. (photo by Shelley McPhee) unty council told Industrial land badly needed BY ALICE GIBE Spence Cummings, Huron County development officer, told members of Huron County council on Thursday, that land must be made available immediately to encourage industrial development in the county. He told council he hopes to catalogue available land in the county this winter so complett data will be available by the spring of 1980. Cummings said his staff has already worked on the Vanastra area and find that "although property owners want to sell their land, they will,'not put' a value on it until they have a buyer in front of them." He said he has the property listed but doesn't know its value. The development officer also asked council to consider giving his department more money in the future to advertise Huron County. He said, "We need to put the county towns and villages before the public by newspaper and specialty magazine advertising. We need to let the New Truscott book claims murderer innocent by Jim Fitzgerald Both the federal and provincial governments have said they will get involved in the Steven Truscott case following last week's release of a new book on the murder case that has brought notoriety to the Clinton area. And meanwhile in Clinton, area people are split on their opinion of reopening the 20 -year-old case of Truscott, now 34, who was 14 years old when he was convicted of the murder and rape of 12 -year-old Lynn Harper near the former CFB .Clinton, now Vanastra. Prime Minister Joe Clark said Monday he will ask the justice depart ment,:whether .the ,gover= ent. should or could reopen the murder conviction of Truscott. The matter was raised in the Federal House of Commons by Stanley Knowles (NDP - Winnipeg North Centre), who was among MPs in 1966 who demanded that the Supreme Court of Canada review all the evidence. In 1966, the court upheld Truscott's conviction in an 8-1 decision. The only dissenting judge said Truscott's rights had been denied him by police and that a new trial should be held. Knowles asked Clark on Monday to see what could be done for Truscott in view of the alleged new evidence. He said the case should be reopened so that Truscott, who was paroled 10 first column Well, as you probably know by now, Clinton has made the front pages of nearly every newspaper in Canada, and the screens of nearly everytelevision set in the country, following the release last week of yet another book. There are now so many books, articles, and movies done on the case, that one could nearly start an library on Truscott memorabilia. Personally, I'm sick of being stopped everywhere I go, just because I'm from Clinton and being accused of covering up one if the greatest injustices of our time. Unless Trent in his book can come up with some new and startling evidence, the whole thing should be dropped and forgotten about. Trying to prove or disprove something that happened 20 years ago will be mighty hard. +++ _ The thing that seems to be bothering people more than the Truscott case in the ridiculously high „interest rates that are close to those charged by the Mafia's loan sharks. Of course, the banks and the government don't seem to care a hoot about the small businessmen, which includes Canada's most valuable asset, the farmer. What will we eat if some of these guys can't afford to farm anymore? Alberta oil? Speaking of which, we see that Shiek Lougheed of Alberta says he wants the world price for his oil, or the zest of Canada can go to hell and buy it somewhere else. Do you remember just a few short months ago, when See Clark was seeking to become chief hick of Pariia lent w illi, he said that with ovdratnents in Ottawa, Alberta,, d` Onta to the countr was headed M for ; netxa of co - Operation?' Well, peop a talked years ago and is now living under an assumed name with his wife and two children somewhere in .southern Ontario, could be exonerated and not have to live the rest of his life on parole. • Ontario ' Attorney -General Roy McMurtry also got into the act on Tuesday when he said his office is reviewing the claims that author of the new book, Bill .Trent, has new evidence. "We're having a look at the con- tents of the book to see what this new evidence is," a spokesman said.. He said representatives of the crown attorney's office and the Provincial Police• are involved in the. review; but until they have completed their work, "there's nothing much more we can say." However, McMurtry said Tuesday he doubts the murder conviction of Truscott will be re-examined. The review should be finished in a week, he said. A' new book released last Thursday by Toronto writer Trent in collaboration with Truscott, called Who Killed Lynne Harper? claims to have uncovered, new evidence in the case and says that Truscott's in- nocence should be investigated In the book, which has put Clinton back in the national limelight of the now widely known case, Trent claims that three men working in the Clinton - about 10 years of Trudeau being too much, 10 months of Clark will be too much, that is if we don't have a depression first. + + -I- Our Our Main Streetwit tells us this week that they recently had to cancel thanksgiving in Alberta. Seems that they had sent their turkey to Ottawa. . + + + Well, back to, more important local matters, like the excellent response we've had to our cook book contest. We'd like to thank all those who submitted recipes, and advise them that our judges panel will be looking over the entries with the winners to be announced shortly. Watch for our mouth watering book shortly in your paper. + + + By the sounds of things, it should be a highly entertaining hockey game this ,Friday night when the NHL Oldtimers battle the Junior Mustangs. But you'd better get advance tickets if possible, to cut down on the line-up going through the gate. ' + + + And too, this is the first Saturday in the month, coming up, so the LLndesboro Lions will be out and about again collecting newspapers frond Clintonian households. Please have therh out to the curb by 9 am. -1- + + Well, you can't blame arena i anager Clarence Neilans for trying. Last Sunday night 'he had an adult skate for the first time and guess how many people turned out? None,zero, not one! So Clarence has cancelled the Our and will give it to hockey. But life regular beginn rs and public blic kating c nti ues �n Sunday of ernoon. Seaforth area at the time committed the murder. The three men,. known only as Russ, Ronny, and -Roy, had been working as painters in the area on the day of the murder. One of the men, Ronny, confessed in an alleged 1967 interview in Kingston Penitentiary to knowing about the crime. The three men were all inmates at the penitentiary at the time of the confession. One of the trio, Roy, is now dead, and the other two have sincebeenreleased from prison. Trent has accusedunnamed of- ficials within the Ontario Attorney - General's office of ignoring tale 1967 confession —from from: the innate,, vdh'b claimed his brother Russ killed the Harper girl. "I think a lot of people in official circles would prefer that the case remain closed," Trent said. However, Arthur Wishart, Attor- ney -General at the time, has dismissed Trent's claims as "ab- solute rubbish. The centre portion of the Trent's new book is an unrevised repeat of his of his 1971 book, The Steven Truscott Story. Another book, by Toronto author Isabel Lebourdais called The Trial of Steven Truscott was the book that inspired the reopening of the case in 1966. But Lebourdais doubts whether a signed confession by another person would now clearly establish Steven Truscott's innocence. "Unless it contains details which. only the murderer could know, it would hardly be worth reading," she said, "False confessions are legion in cases such as this." She expressed fears that renewed ,public interest based on flimsy vidence,, could harm Truscott's. a'nces.df preserving.hTs anonym ity. Meanwile in Clinton, people in the area are split on the innocence of Truscott, with many, including a former juror, saying he was definitely guilty, and reviving the whole trial is only a way for someone to make money while giving Clinton a black eye. Although reluctant to talk about it, many others claim that Truscott was innocent and a new trial should be held, no matter what publicity it brings to the town. Vanastra rec. deficit smaller In last week's edition of the paper, it was reported that the accumulated deficite of the Vanastra Rec Centre for 1974-1979 was 125,584,00. At the time the figure was quoted that was the deficit of the centre as recorded on the township books. During the past week, says Tuckersmith clerk, John MacLaughlin the municpal auditors re-examined the figures, since the commencement of the centre, and have discovered an audit mistake had been made in 1975 and the deficit recorded was $124,469.84 when indeed it should only have been $55,166.03. Since that time, there has been no reason to question the prior figures until the recent ruror. During this time, the deficit at the centre has been overstated by $68,703.81. It is very unfortunate that this error occurred says MacLaughlin in the past, especially due to the con- troversy over an addition that exists today. He said council would like to apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused and would like to advise this deficit should have been reported as only $56,880.19. The letter will be reviewed by council at a meeting next week when the auditors will be present and steps will be taken to make the necessary adjustment necessary to reflect the actual deficit situation. Rains delaying harvest The recent continuous rainy weather is good and bad for Huron County farmers. Huron's Ag Rep Don Pullen said last week that "The recent rains horribly delayed harvesting of corn and soybeans, but, were good for fall plowing and the recently planted wheat crop." Pullen said silage corn should have been completed last week, but, the grain corn harvest is just nicely getting underway. Soft ground Con- ditions have really slowed progress." The Huron white bean crop has been completed with excellent quality and good yields. Pullen added, "I have heard of some yields as high as a metric ton per acre." He said a September 9 frost in the Befgrave, Wingham, Brussels areas slowed down the growth and development of grain corn. Moisture in grain corn continues to be very high. Pullen commented', "We have a pretty fair system of drying in. Huron with our mills and some on- farm drying operations, but it's going to take a lot of energy for drying." Pullen indicated some .corn was turning out better than expected. He added, "There was pretty fai Olant e population. 'The - ,ogle came big lit' � � , �. with a lack .rf' t ` necessa y he t units the rr �oY corn to i`�S' to a pro�ei�l, . The bulk of the soybean crop is still to be harvested with yields varying from 20 to 30 bushels per acre. Winter wheat acreage this fall is higher than it has been in recent years due mainly to the early and successful harvesting of white beans. About white beans Pullen com- mented, "They were really delighted with the weather and harvesting conditions. Some that switched' from 'beans to other crops certainly wish they had nota" While Kent county remains as the leader in grain corn production, Huron has taken over as the top producer in silage and grain corn combined. , Weathertm 1919 1978 October Hi Lo Hi Lo 23 18 6 10 2 24 7 2 8 4 25 4-1 9 -1 26 3 -1 14 3 27 6 -1.5 13 , 6 28 8 3.5 12 2.5 20 6 3 19, 2 Rain 32,4 No rain Kt executives of companies in Canada, as well as the United States, know that we have land to settle an industry on in our towns and villages." Cummings said $3,000 was currently budgeted for ,advertising but that his department needs about $15,000 to do an effective job. He said in comparing notes with other economic development officers at a recent conference he found firms are hesitant to make commitments now because of the current high in- terest rates. He said companies are holding back, waiting for a more favorable financial climate before expanding. However, the development officer said established Canadian firms who have an export market are finding business is booming since the devalued Canadian dollar makes Canadian goods very saleable on the American market. He told council in the past year there have been expansions in some plants in the county, as well as plant closings. He said although the county lost employers when plants like Gay Lea (egg grading station) in Seaforth closed, "we hope that eventually these excellent buildings can be filled again in the near future." Mr. Cummings said his biggest worry in the development area is still Vanastra "which has lost more in- dustry in the last three years than any other community." The development officer said he had been trying to interest the federal government in the community and "although they profess sympathy, they do not do anything about it." He said a recent proposal by a local MP and Tuckersmith Township council that Vanastra be used as a training centre ' for the Vietnamese "boat people" settling in Canada, was turned down by the federal govern- ment. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII11111IIIIIIIIIIIII111IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Book banning seminar p. 2 Making the Morning Market Stangs take Kinucks Pathfinders for girls P. 3 p. 6 P. 7 Anniversaries for Bayfielders .. p. 10 Gloomy future for farmers p. 12 Ar -ea weddings p. 14 Nurses meet p. 15 Vanastra gets minister p. 16 Auburn ladies busy , p. 17 .Londesboro girl honored p. 20 CHSS news p. 21 At the. Legion p. 22 'IIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Hallowe'en parties abounded in the area this week, as kids from three to 93 marked the annual costumed event. Shawn Rutledge of Clinton was no ex- ception, as he dressed up like a bear for a party at the Clinton Nursery school on Tuesday morning. (News -Record photo) Townships to appeal tax Five townships in Huron County plan to appeal tax equalization factors implemented by the provincial government according to their representatives attending Thursday's county council meeting. The townships, who must have submitted appeals by November 1, are Tuckersmith, McKillop, Morris, Stephen and Howick. Reeve Ervin Sillery of Tuckersmith told council his township has already appealed its assessment "to be on the safe side." He said the township can withdraw the appeal later but "we wanted to protect ourselves and see what comes out of it later on." There has been a great deal of concern ' that factors or rural i ave decreased ed to a titles 'munic pa greater a tent t an they have in urban re s the county. This municipalities a 5 coo s p Y means costs to rural taxpayers are expected to increase Much more rapidly than to urban municipalities. The provincial government had put a freeze on assessment in the early 1970's, and the price of land has in- creased drastically since then, par- ticularly in rural areas. Reeve Allan Campbell of McKillop Township asked on what grounds an appeal could, be made. He admitted land prices in his township had risen from $300 an acre to $1500 an acre for farmland in recent years. He also said, "I'll admit the towns are too low (in assessment)." Another member of council told Campbell to, "sit on it!" Bill . Hanly, county clerk -treasurer, said it's very doubtful if any municipality t in the county has grounds for appeal of the equalization factors. He said he thinks township councils. • will havegreat difficultyiproving that these factors are wrong and "there Turn to page, $