HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1979-11-22, Page 1•
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r.
The 12 -foot railway underpass on the Bayfield Road has
become a trucker's nightmare, and on Monday claimed
another victim when an unknowing trucker attempted to
No plebiscite
drive a tractor trailer'carrying two backhoes through
the subway. The truck didn't make it and the result was
$24,000 in damages.(News-Record photo)
1 14th Year -No. 47.
Thursday, November 22,
lementary teachers may settle
BY JEFF SEDDON
The Huron county board of
education and its elementary school
teachers may be close to contract
settlement 'despite negotiations
which, at best, have been slow.
In a prepared release Monday
Shirley Weary, head of the board's
negotiating team and Brenda
Schedler, chief negotiater for the
tedchers, said they were "hopeful of
reaching a settlement soon".
Neither side would expand on the -
statement preferring to keep
negotiations behind closed doors.
Tuckersmith approves Vanastra addition
By Wilma Oke
Tuckersmith Township council
denying a request by ratepayers for a
plebiscite, gave the. go-ahead Tuesday
night for the proposed addition to the
Vanastra recreation centre.
Following a closed door session
lasting about two hours when the
press and six Tuckersmith ratepayers
were asked to leave the meeting,
Councillor Robert Fotheringham
made a motion, seconded by Coun-
cillor Frank Falconer "That we don't
bother -with the plebiscite vote."
The plebiscite had been formally
requested at a special council
meeting on October 22 and again at a
ratepayers' meeting on November 12.
In the recorded vote asked by
Councillor William Brown, his was
the only dissenting voice denying the
request for an electors' vote on the
proposed addition.
Council agreed unanimously that
all future operating deficits, over and
above the present debenture payment`
at the Vatiastra Recreation Centre, be
the responsibility of all the taxable
property of the Township of
Tuckersmith. This motion l was made
by DepUty Reeve • Robert Bell and
seconded by Councillor Falconer, and
recorded vote requested by Brown.
The debenture debt of $119,000 will
have to be paid by the ratepayers of
Vanaftra only.
Approved was a final motion, made
by Councillor Bell and seconded by
Councillor Fotheringham, that the
clerk proceed to prepare a bylaw
'authorizing the proposed new addition
to the Vanastra Recreation Centre,
with only Councillor Brown voting
against it.
ddition, estimated to cost over
$200,, O. will provide a larger
•
exer room, an activity room,
acces .4.0.1e washrooms, showers and
chang areas, to' provide a program of
aquatics and fitness for mentally
handicapped and physically han-
dicapped PO1-sons. Grants are ex-
pected to cover about 78 per cent of
the building costs and the rest will
have to be raised locally.
In other business council con-
sidered four tenders for the purchase
of a tractor and a mower but made no
decision on which one to accept until
they inspected the four tractors. The
Ministry of Transportation and
Communications will pay grant
money only on the cost of the lowest
tender price.
Road 'superintendent Allan
Nicholson reported that the township.:
shed had been broken into again with
about $300 worth of tools stolen. Entry
Clinton firemen battle
huge corn dryer fire
As this paper goes to press on
Wednesday afternoon, Clinton
firemen and Fleming Feed Mill
workers are fighting a fire in one of
the Feed Mill's giant corn dryers.
The men are busy cleaning out the
dryer of about 65 tons of corn in order
to get at a fire in the middle of the
fiverstorey structure.
Cause of the blaze is unknown at
this time, and no estimate of the
amount of 'damage done was
available alpress time. -
The fire comes near the end of the
corn harvest with about 95 per cent of
the crop harvested and in storage.
A wet fall, combined with immature
corn, has left the grain corn with a
high moisture content, resulting in
high drying costs, and a slow down
through the dryers of the corn, some
ashigh as 44 per cent. It must be down
to 15 per cent for storage.
Because of a delay a week ago in
moving the corn out of the area by
ship, many elevators were plugged
full and some had to refuse anymore
wet corn until the backlog was
cleared.
Agricultural officials also say the a
high percentage of the fall plowing is
done, as many farmers work day and
night trying to stay ahead of the
predicted wet weather,
1
Well, to all /4ur many American
readers, a Happy, Thanksgiving
Day. As most poeple are aware, the
American iThnaksgiving is
celebrated or November 22, no
matter what day of the week the
holiday falls on, while we here in
Canada celebrate it on the second
Monday in October, which is
usually before the harvest is
completed.
+ -I-
Not only is the annual bird
migration underway, but our
featherless human friends are also
leaving in droves for the sunny
outh. Now wouldn't it be
something if the beautiful weather
of the past four days was to hold out
until January? It would certainly
help with the heating bills.
Well, the Main Street wit says
this week that: "Many people are
so opposed to exercise, they won't
even jog their memories."
+
But one kind of exercise that
Canadians have enjoyed a great
deal of it running off at the mouth,
and that too may end shortly if Bell
Canada has its way.
Canadians, it seems, are the
most talkative telephone users in
the world, and a new proposal by
t ell Canada would have us pay for
the phones by the number of local
tails we !Wake Something like the
long distande ChargeS. PreSently,
all a us pay a flat monthly rate, on
top Of Which go the long distane
charges, if any.
Now the proposal has met with
mixed reaction, but ,I'm certain
that any household with a couple of
teen -aged girls in it will be
vehemently opposed to the new
scheme.
-I- -I- -I-
It's been pretty well documented
in the past few years that drinking
and driving are a dangerous
combination, but according to an
article in a recent Ontario Ministry
of Transportation and Com-
munication publication, drinking
and walking can also be very
hazardous to your health.
In a recent study, the Traffic
Injury Research Foundation un-
covered a link between alcohol
intake and pedestrian fatalities in
Canada. Of the 734 pedestrian
,accident cases examined by the
Foundation, more than 30 per cent
of the victims' were found to have
been drinking at the time of their
death. The percentage jumped to
60 percent in the 30 to 50 year age
group.
So next time you get polluted,
don't drive or walk from your
favorite watering hole. Get a sober
friend to take you home!
As we are going to press, former -
Prime Minister Pierre Trucleau
has announced he is steOping down
41s head of the Libetiti Party of
/Cana a, and has asked the party to
call f r a leadership convention in
Marc.
was gained by breaking a back
window.
Council set the groundwork for a
reforestation agreement with Mrs.
Dorothy Williams for five acres on lot
29, concession one.
Council will hold the first meeting of
the 1980 term .of council on December
4, 1979 at 8 p.m.
Council received a letter from the
Vanastra Lions Club thanking council
for the donation of $75 and for the
continuous use of the Vanastra Day
Care Centre at no cost.
Reservations will be made for four
members of council for the Rural
Ontario MUnicipal Association con-
vention in Toronto from February 10 -
13.
Council inspected the water system
of the Heather Gardens property at
Vanastra and found a number of
leaks. Mrs. Claire Haskett, owner,
will be informed by a report of the
findings of the inspection team, which
included Reeve Ervin Sillery and Don
McLean, manager of the Vanastra
water system.
Clerk Jack McLachlan reported the
population in .the towns* is recorded
at 3,293, up 104 persons over last year.
Of these'2,340 are of voting age.
Whoops!!!
Bridge fools truck ...again
It's happened again.- On November
19 another transport truck didn't quite
make the squeeze. The result was two
topless backhoes and $24,000 in
damages.
Jack Leystra, 45, of Sarnia was
unable to ke,..„ the tractor trailer
owned by Fredrick Transportation of
-f..---fGhaitham through the 12 -foot railway
underpass on County Road 13, just
outside Clinton.
The truck and its load, two
backhoes, scraped through and the
cabs of both backhoes were ripped off.
The driver was uninjured.
A pick-up truck'. owned by Robert
Daer, 27, of Goderich, received $8,000
in damages in a single vehicle ac-
cident on November 17.
The early evening accident Oc-
curred on Highway 8, south of Huron
Road 12. Mr. Daer was northbound on
the highway when he veered into the
ditch. The driver received minor
injuries.
Thomas Sharp, 18, of RR 1, Clinton
was uninjured but the car he was
driving received $4,000 in damages
following a November 18 accident.
Mr. Sharp was traveling" on High-
way 4, south of Blyth when he came to.
a curve in the road, went up a steep
embankment and rolled the vehicle.
A car driven by Bradley C4r-
,liochan, 24, of RR 4, Seaforth received
'$800 after he lost control of his vehicle
the, was driving down London Road
South and the car went into the ditch
and hit a culvert.
Weather
1979 1978
Hi ,Lo Hi Lo
NOVEMBER
13 5 -4 15 1.5
14 3 -1 14 2
1.5 2.5 -1 4 1
16 1.5 -7 6 2
17 9.5 -1 13.5 1
18 13 -1.5 9 4
19 15 3.5 6 0
Rain 10.5 mm Rain 21.3 mm
BIA continues work
by Shelley McPhee
Although the Clinton. Business
Improvement Area (BIA) is still
waiting for final approval for their
bylaw from the . Ontario Municipal
. Board (OMB), and is waiting for
Clinton's official plan to be finalized,
the group is ,making preliminary
plans, discussing possible projects to
be undertaken, and preparing their
budgerfor council.
In October, Clinton Council gave
their approval on the BIA plan,
however, it may take two to three
months to get approval from the
OMB.
The BIA is expecting a positive
reaction from the OMB since, ac-
cording to BIA chairman David
Anstett, only two of the 90 businesses
involved objected to the proposal.
While the OMB is studying the
bylaw, the BIA is co-ordinating
committees to work under the plan
and is preparing their annual budget
estimate which. will be submitted to
the town council when OMB approval
comes through. If council approves
the budget, then they will levy a
special charge upon all businesses in
the BIA to provide the funds needed to
make changes and renovations to the
downtown area. The levy on the
bus ineSses will be based on each one's
assessment.
may hot be until •next spring
before any actual changes or im-
provements are made to the down-
toWn under the BIA project. The
group is also waiting for the com-
pletion of Clinton's official plan before
they can go ahead with anything,
other than paper work. ,
According to Mr. Anstett, the BIA is
required to work ' with the town's
Offielal plan and, "It's hard to say at
this time when we'll get started. The
plan's going so slow."
In the meantime, MA organizers
• trE optirnistie, They have received
So era! calls from various
engineering firms, interested in
preparing preliminary studies of the
downtown area and what changes can
be made to make the town more at-
tractive and convenient for tourists,
the businessmen and shoppers. The
BIA is studying the the engineers'
offers, their suggestions and their
ees.
"Our first change in the area will be
.iomething big and ; concrete so
everyone can see that the BIA is
accomplishing sotnething," Mr.
Anstett • said. "If we're collecting tax
dollars, people want to see what it's
going for."
Some members of the BIA studied
several projects. that can be un-
dertaken when a meeting was held in
the town hall last Thursday night.
Although only a small number of
the some 90 involved businesses at-
tended the meeting, Neil McLellan,
who is considered to be the forefather
of BIA, showed through slides several
projects he has organized, with before
and after results. Tee Cashmore, a
consulting engineer from Cummings -
Cockburn and Associates Limited of
London outlined the work that an
engineering firm an offer.
Mr. Anstett noted that the work the
BIA had done in other centres, like
Bloor West Village, "was excellent."
At the meeting, basic stages and
steps involved in improving the BIA
were discussed and it was suggested
for Clinton and the community, from
private individuals to the schools, get
involved in the work.
Despite the small showing at the
meeting, Mr. Anstett is certain that
the BIA is receiving support and is
confident that it will receive tno,'.e
suPport as it progresses.
"The more we get involved in the
pro'ect, the more help we'll get.
Co munity involvement will cornett
wil t ke time, but a lot has been done
ale ys" Anstettnoted.. .
David Moore, the fact finder ap-
pointed by the Education Relations
Commission to investigate contract
negotiations in Huron, said he was
hopeful both parties could settle
without "undue delay".
Moore was appointed by the ERC
early in September to investigate and
report on contractual negotiations in
Huron county. That practice is
common when boards and teachers
have not settled by, September in the
hopes that the fact finder can pinpoint
problem areas and make recom-
mendations that could speed up
bargaining.
Moore said negotiations were slow
and as of September had not resulted
in any "substantial change" to the
collective agreement.
He said .in his report, prepared
early in October, that what issues had
'been resolved during negotiations had
"little financial implications". But he
pointed out that. there were a
"relatively small number of issues
which remain to be resolved".
. In the release Monday the
negotiating chairmen from both
parties said there had been one
bargaining session since Moore's
report and another session is
scheduled for this week.
I4dications are a settlement could
be reached by the end of November.
Moore said the teachers proposed
increases varying between nine and
10 percent claiming the increase
matches the rate of inflation. The
board's Offer was between 3.5 and
fou? percent claiming inflation is only
one factor to cdn'sider.
Moore split the difference
suggesting an increase of between 6.5
and seven percent. His recommended
increase was exclusive of the annual
increment.
The increment is the annual raise
granted teachers with less than 10
years experience and 10 years service
to the board. Every year a teacher
returns to the classroom he or she
moves up on the salary grid to the
maximum wage received, a
maximum not reached for 10 years.
The board argued the increment
should be included in the increase
claiming it cost 1.9 percent. Teachers
claimed it was part of the existing
contract and as such should not be
considered part of the increase.
Moore said his recommended in-
crease considered the views of both
sides. He said it was part of the
existing agreement ,which supported
the teachers' arguernent. But he
added that it was a significantTurntocost for
the board. He said his pagerecom-
mendation3for a seven percent
inside )
Clinton couple graduate p. 2
From prison to pulpit
Will firemen visit?
- Texas oilman writes
P 3
p• 4
P. 5
Juniors split p. 6
• Bayfield taxes drop p 10
King Tut p 11
'Dairy Princess picked p. 12
Auburn Advocate p. 15
Hensall news p. 17
• Vanostra bazaar on p. 18
Legion literary winners p. 19
Classifieds 20, 21, 22
Den -Way opens p. 23
Entertainment guide p. 24
Would-be race driver
charged after 'walling'
A 23 -year-old RR 2, Goderich man
has been charged with wilful damage
following an incident at the Clinton
racetrack on November 16.
According to Clinton Police, the
charged man was attempting to see
how fast he could drive around the
track in a car when he lost control of
the vehicle and ran through a fence.
Three boards and two posts, valued at
$50 were damaged. The car received
$250 in damages.
Police are still looking for the
vandal who shot a hole in the front
window at Gerrard's Department
Store. The incident occurred
sometime between November 12 and
16 and police believe a pellet gun may
have been used.
An Clinton woman, Helen Lawson,
80, was taken to hospital on November
14 after she was struck by a car.
A car driven by Dennis Erb, 30, of
Milverton was attempting to turn at
the corner of Ontario and Victoria
Streets when Mrs. Lawson, a
pedestrian, was hit.
A November 10 accident resulted in
$1,200 when a car driven by Timothy
Proctor, 16, of Clinton and a second
vehicle driven by Richard Taylor, 21,
of Stratford collided in the Elm Haven
parking lot.
Damage to the Proctor vehicle was
set at $1,000 and $200 to the Taylor
Car.
Snow covered and icy roads caused
a two car crash at the Victoria Street
stop lights on November 14.
A car driven by Andre Gauthier, 41,
of London received $900 in damages
and a second vehicle, driven by
Murfdy McClure, 31, of RR 1, Cen-
tralia received $500 in damages.
V" 1'. •
,
Beetitthil, Warm; sunny tivea er of th past four
to catch up on their outside chores b fore old iu
rtiotith stay, Clinton town 'hall custodian Henry
protect thein from
works employee Alit Vfrhoef were busy on Mon
shrubs at the Cenotaph to
Record photo)
s has allowed thany pe o le!
n whiter blows hi for a fi e«)
Brinke, eft, and public
ay putting the covers.40 the
e heavy Sao load. (News,