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Clinton News-Record, 1979-11-08, Page 3Huron county F. of A. by Alice Gibb Frank Wall, a member of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) executive, told members of the Huron County Federation of Apiculture that he thinks the current high interest rates will "seriously jeopardize .our way of production, what we produce and how effrciently we produce it." Mr. Wall, told the meeting the in- terest rates are going to create problems for farmers due to the "high cost of short term money." He told federation members thtre wasn't any resolution on Interest rates submitted for discussion at the upcoming OFA convention in Toronto at the end of the month, which sur- prised him. Merle Gunby, president of the Huron County federation, said, "I think we're still in a state of shock, .Frank." Mr. Wall said the reason given for higher interest rates was as a curb for inflation, but he said if farmers can't get short term money, and food supplies become scarce, then prices will increase anyway. He said for example he didn't know how long corn growers will be able to stay in business if the -costs of energy and the costs of short term money keep rising. st rats will "jeopardize Mr. Wail was speaking to federation members on the proper way to draft resolutions submitted to the OFA for consideration. He told members that people who set up resolutions must make sure they do their homework well, before presenting The resolution to the OFA board of director's. He also criticized "propaganda sheets" which are telling the public tat if the government would get rid of marketing boards, "then everything will be alright." Mr. Wall said nothing is needed more than getting the farmer's story across to the public. Tax Equalization In other business, the federation received replies from six of the county's 16 township councils about the 1980 revised tax equalization factors. The federation wrote to the councils to see if the farm organization and the councils could co-ordinate action on a campaign on the factors which are expected to increase taxes inrural areas. The councils from Howick, Goderich, Usborne, McKillop and Stephen indicated they would be in- tereste.d in a joint meeting with federation members on the issue. Hay Township council responded Truscott's ghost returns (Editor's note, the following column calle.d "Behind the scenes," appears regularly in three other papers in Huron ,County. Written by Keith Roulston of Blyth, a former editor of the Clinton News -Record, the column details his thoughts on the recently revived Truscott affair.) "The ghost of the Stephen Truscott affair refuses to die. "One could almost feel a collective shudder last Week as the 20 -year-old murder again took over . the front pages of daily newspapers.. The people of Clinton have to go through it all again. "It was 20 years ago this past summer that the body of 12 -year-old Lynne .Harper wasfound in a bush. outside Clinton. Since then, Clin- tonians have. barely had a chance to forget the • subsequent events of a 'murder trial before someone is bringing the subject up again. "And . so last week again the reporters descended on Clinton to question the natives about their memories about the murder. The latest round of intere.st is caused by the newly -released book "Who Killed Lynne Harper?" by Bill Trent, a writer who has made a mini -career out of the Truscott story. For the second time, he pleads that Truscott was not guilty and that justice wasnot only not done, but deliberately sabotaged. "Was Steven Truscott guilty? I don't have enough of the facts to know for- sure? Innocent people have gone to jail before because important evidence was somehow overlooked. Guilty people have gone free before. Guilty .people have proclaimed their innocence to the end. "Growing up in the area I remember the Truscott case. I was young enough that I didn't know what it was about, that it had some of the older boys snickering, but I do remember thinking how horrible it Would be to be that boy, only a couple of years older than me and being put in jail. "I think that's part of the reason so many people will rush out and buy this new book. Many of us want to believe the boy was innocent, that a 14 -year-old boy was incapable of such a horrible act. He was a small-town boy, a kid just like your own son, your own brother, the neighbour's kid, maybe even like yourself. How could someone like that do such a thing? Surely it must have been some demented vagrant who carried out this dastardly act and let the boy take the rap. "Well Steven Truscott, guilty or innocent has taken the rap and is free from all but his memories. He lives today under a different name with only his family knowing his past. But the town of Clinton still suffers. And every time the people try to put the murder behind them, they only dO more to keep it alive. Reporters descend on the town and start asking questions of the locals and the locals are tight-lipped and the reporters immediately think it is some small- town conspiracy to hide the truth and go back and write stories to that account giving credence to the theory that people are hiding the truth that could set Steven Truscott free,. "During the years I lived in Clinton, I _saw the near paranoia that had overtaken the people of the town of Clinton. I was there when another murder took place with another young boy charged. Out came the com- parisons in print to the Truscott af- fair. 'Out came the stories that talked about two murders in 10 years and made the town sound like murder city. Out came the reporters asking everybody in sight about this •murder or the one just over 10 years earlier. People began to think that the only time a reporter from outside the town came to Clinton was when he was snooping for scandal. The mere sight of a television news car or"a daily reporter with photographers at his side was enough to make people nervous. "Here we go again", they said to themselves. "For awhile, all the fuss since the original trial has been in favour of the idea that Steven Truscott was in- nocent, it has also been that the town itself was somehow guilty of something. The various books have cast doubt on the local medical authorities, the jurors, local police officials, everyone in any way con- nected with the case. Books such as the new 'Trent book seem to hint that there is a conspiracy, that there is even fear in the community, that people know who really did the murder but want to pin in on the boy. "The irony of it all is that 99 per cent of the population had probably never even heard of either Steven Truscott or Lynne Harper before the murder. They lived in that other world at the air base south of town, a separate town with its own housing, recreational facilities and even its own school. The murder didn't take place in the town either but in the country between the base and the town. The provincial police were involved in the investigation not the local police. The town of Clinton was hardly involved at all and yet it has carried the stigma for the last 20 years. "The supreme iror'i for the last decade has been that the Truscotts, •the Harpers and all the other air base is now turned to other uses. The people most involved in the case are no longer there. But it's the people of Clinton who still suffer. Pardon them if they want to forget Steven Truscott." that they weren't opposed to the new equalization factors. Hay is the only Huron County township which won't face any real change in equalization factors. The federation members voted to send a letter to the 16 township councils indicating the need for a joint meeting to discuss the issue at some future date. The federation also received a response from Minister of Agriculture Lorne Henderson to a letter sent to the CLINTON Ng WS7R•gCOROir TUVRP,PAT, p79 ---PAGE 3 minister criticizini his stand on farin severances forretiring farmers. The minister told the federation the severance issue is "an issue I feel strongly about." He said, "A farmer should be allowed a lot on which to retire or a lot to help get his children started on the farm. I am not against a. farmer building the extra house on his farm if he wants Vo but 'I think he should have the option of an extra lot." Jim McIntosh said he didn'i feel the Board bows to Bayfield BY JEFF SEDDON The. squeaky wheel certainly gets the grease in education circles. The Huron County board of education learned Tuesday that on occasion government itself can become a victim of government bureaucracy, John Cochrane, director of education, told the board that a recent appeal of the board's education requisition to the village of Bayfield had been appealed. He explained that each year the board passes its budget and then divides up the amount of money to be paid into education coffers by municipalities in the county. He said the board notifies each municipality of its apportionment and bills it for the amount. He said Bayfield had objected to the amount it was billed and appealed the matter. stuck in the middle The ,director said any appeal by a town or township is sent to a special meeting of clerks and treasurers in the county. That group hears the arguement raised by the appealing municipality and acts as an arbitrator in the matter. He said the clerks had heard the appeal and voted in favor Pf the board's requisition. Bayfield was not satisfied with those results and took the matter to the Ontario Municipal Board. A hearing date was set for December 10 in the municipal offices in Bayfield. The OMB instructed the board of education to notify all clerks and treasurers Of the meeting by first class mail. Cochrane said that was no sooner done than the municipal board sent the board of education a bill for $25, presumably for the rental of the hall. "The wheels of government," muttered Cochrane. Can you believe this? It's 1:30 am. andI'm perched. high atop my couch with a broom in one hand and a canof Raid firmly clasped in thr.,. other. No, I am not sleep walking or having some crazy dream: In fact, my night has been almost a sleepless one due to the presence of an unwelcorte in- truder, a mouse. Yes, I admit that for some reason I am one of those people who is terrified of a little grey mouse. It really is ridiculous, a full grown woman acting this way. If it had been, a rabbit or chipmunk that scurried across my bedroom floor, I would have been thrilled, but since it was that tiny grey creature with the long tail, I'm terrified. Looking at the situation in a, calm, logical frame of mind I'm sure there's really nothing to be afraid of. A mouse 'is no different than any other furry little animal. What canJw_do„to hurt me, take a chomp out of my foot while I am sleeping? No, but he may get the idea that my bed's a cozy warm spot for him too and crawl right in. ARRRGGHHH!!! So here I sit, maintaining a silent guard and peering into the dark corners of my apartment, waiting and watching for the creature to make his next move. Where could he be? Camaflouged in the ashes of the fireplace or nibbling on those bread crumbs I forgot to sweep up? Maybe he's hiding in. the shadowy safety of the wash stand or, he could running his little feet over my pots and pans? Sleep at this point would be impossible. I'm jumping at every sound, my heartbeat's filling my ears and my feet are posed, ready to take quick cover in case he appears. And what happens if he does come out? Do I chase and try. to corner the mouse or let him retreat to the safety of the basement? And what have I got this broom for? I have no intentions of using it as a weapon and it's doubtful. that the Raid would have much effect, other than cover him in white foam. _ I have no defence. I don't know what to do with a loose mouse in the house. I have no mouse traps and even if I did, I would certainly not set them myself. I can't sit here all night and do nothing. I'm sure I will find no compassion from Editor Jim tomorrow when I am found asleep at my desk. With weapons in hand I bound across the Iivingroom floor for the safety of my bedroom, slam the door behind me and barricade it with a mat. I will deal with the mouse in the morning when I can find a patient friend who will set a trap for me. Nestled under the covers, just ready for sleep, I hear the mouse scratching at the door. Oh, this is going to be a long, long night. minister had backed up his arguments for severance in the letter. Merle Gunby said, "These so-called farm severances are usually only used for that purpose for less thanfive years." Frank Wall- told the meeting - statistics indicate three or four years is all the time those severances. remain in the farmer's hands. Gerry Fortune asked, "Does Mr. Henderson own a farm and is he thinking of retiring soon?" - Max Demeray suggested when the retired farmer is done with the severed parcel of land, it should revert back to the original farm. Mr. Wall said, "Then we, don't need a severance." Bob Robinson requested that the federation reply' to Mr. Henderson's letter asking the minister to state what protection there is for -the far- mer who owns the farm that the lot is IO - 1 severed from When someone else buys the lot. Tile federation. is Concerned that when Aevered property is purchased by nontrarrners, . the owners wili complain: about farm' activities and odours. " ' Members also discussed ,a letter from the Oxford County Federation on the disaster relief program in the Woodstock area: To date, the. Huron County Federation has raised approximately $16,000 to contribute to the disaster relief fund, in addition to sending feed and manpower to assist farmers whose farms were damaged in the August tornado. The Oxford Federation expressed concern that the costs of trucking feed to the damaged farms won't be covered by the disaster relief fund. Tuckersmith to share... • from page 1 addition proposed for the recreation establishing a senior citizens centre centre). and she questioned that the grants Reeve Sillery replied that at the were not assured. time council felt it was a good deal. Mr. Hammond said he was not It was pointed out to council by Mr. afraid of the new addition but he was Hammond and others that the afraid of the operational deficits and original petition did not call for an the equipment that will have to be enclosed pool, but poor workmanship bought. "I believe the operating and cement made it necessary to deficit will be large." cover in the pool: Mrs. Haskett stated Following the vote by council on the the Vanastra businessmen paid to put debenture debt and the operational the roof on it themselves. "There was debt Mrs. Haskett, owner of Heather a pool and walls but no roof," she Gardens, asked if she' would be said. The curling rink was supposed to allowed to drilla well for her complex have been a small skating rink for and put in a filter bed next year. She Vanastra residents and some curling said she was paying over $1,500 a but now used exclusively for curling. month in water and sewage rates. She A Vanastra resident called for charged the costs were excessive for council to withdraw the bylaw making business people. She again reminded Vanastra a• school and recreation council that seven, businesses have area and make the township all one. gone in the past two or three years He said the new addition is going to be and two more are going this week. for the benefit of Tuckersmith and . "You have really mucked them up Yanastra but why charge it only to good," she declared. Mr. Hammond Vanastra. spoke up, "I think this is a real Mr. Hammond said another council priority of council." He questioned coming in could rescind that bylaw the management of the water system, council could pass and Vanastra saying the Sandpiper building had would again be left holding all the been leaking for nine months (it is costs against the recreation centre. vacant) and repairmen called in on a He said Vanastra has more than they Saturday when wages were higher. can afford and more than was signed Mrs. Haskett said her water rates in for. He said he would like to see all the a year were more than her taxes, and problems straightened up in 1979. He that Vanastra was paying more than said there is a fairly solid nucleus of any place in Ontario. residents in Vanastra now, but he was Councillor Frank Falconer stated, concerned about the business section. "We'll investigate it." Mrs. Haskett spoke of the large It was suggested that there should number of businesses that have be a feasibility study made as to the moved out of Vanastra and aidto ,to,wnshin_. drilling its own well at big businesses are closing up tbis Va4pAita, , rather than buying the .week, Archer's Farm Sales and---4/Vater from Clinton. Service Limited and the Country In other township business Road Market store. Superintendent Allan Nicholson said Beverley Eisler questioned the the Vanastra road bridge would be - building of the addition to the repaired in the spring and possibly recreation centre as Goderich was would be closed for six weeks. . . :a great pioneer photographer would have Joved our quick film processing service. , We offer a wide choice of low cost film and developing services. 40 ONTAt1O (STET 8TQATFOQD 27I -296i POLIDENT/48's ENTU E CLEANING TABLETS ONLY UE 60bittiCH/MAiN cc:101401.04100N/ MAIN otartrOg,,SE,A,FpRTH C I . • Anstett's Policy: We sell Goid by weight. 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