Clinton News-Record, 1980-03-13, Page 1115th year -No. 11
ThtJrsday, March
3, 7980.
35 cents
Blaze levels house
Ambulance attendants for Westlakes and volunteejs3.-.'
loaded the body of Janet Poswalk, 33, into the am-
bulance, while the family home burned in the
background, left. Her body was found by the Brucefield
firemen next to the back door in the Tuesday afternoon
blaze that completely levelled the family home in Varna.
Cornoner Dr. R.W. Flowers has called in the fire mar-
shal. (News -Record photo)
o.
arna woman dies in
The normally quiet of the hamlet of at the scene, minutes before noon.
Varna was shattered Tuesday af- Her husband Howard was at work
"ternoon by_radged -that.-.c lai n ed w i h x e T cke.rs-m i,.th M unic.ipa l _ ..
the life of one of its residents.
Janet Poswalk, 33, died in a fire on
Tuesday afternoon that completely
levelled the family home in the
hamlet, two doors east of the main
corner on County Road 3.
Mrs. Poswalk, who was the only
person in the house when it caught
fire. was discovered dead at the back
door by a member of therBrucefield
Fire Department when they arrived
Schools could help train tradesmen, bd. aske
BY DAVE SYKES
The Huron I._Cotnty Board of
Education could provide a vital link
with area industry through continuing
education programs and ap-
prenticeship programs in the manner
of community colleges in the future.
Don Longwell, director of training
..._. and-.deveiopmrent att ehampiorr Road.
Machinery Ltd.,and chairman of the
Huron County Industrial Training
'Committee ' told board , members
last week that industry takes a great
interest in the secondary school level
and the training programs offered. He
added. that specific training ,or ap-
prenticeship programs could be
implemented for the benefit of both
the individual and industry.
Longwell was instrumental in
initiating the Huron County _industrial
Training Committee earlier this year,
a group representing industry in
Huron County, and presently
examining the training and skill
requirements of those industries. The
group is conducting an extensive
survey of the county's industry to
determine the needs and 4pgssibly
involve the education system in
Meeting those needs.
"We will find out what the training
needs of industry are and ask the
board to help meet those needs," he
said. "The government provides
funds for training -Mt there could also -
be a co-operative education porogram
between industries and schools both
at the college and highschool levels."
While Longwell is advocating
continuing education programs
geared to industrial needs and
sponsored-by'the board, -the needs are--..
diverse and sometimes, exacting.
"There is a need for programs
geared to management and executive
development as well as switchboard
skills, reading and.general literacy,"
Longwell said. "Industry would
support c:a?h programs and people
wouldn't have to go outside the county
for training and development."
Longwell also asked the board to
consider a high school apprenticeship
program that has been implemented
by other boards. High school
technical programs could provide
specific training as well as co-
operative on the job training with
industry and the student would earn
credit on his apprenticeship.
There is a diverse group of interests
among industries in Huron County
and a need to improve efficiency of
training in trades. Industry if often
required to seek skilled labour from
outside the area and many of those
people often leave after a short
Broken pipe closes school
by Michelle Corbett
At the end of classes Monday af-
ternoon, CHSS students were in-
formed that there would be no classes
held until furthet notice because the
heating system A%as shut down:
This action was the result of a leak
somewhere in the water pipes. The
high school heating .system is
operated by water being boiled in a
boiler, and this is pumped throughout
the school to radiators located in the
classrooms and hallways.
The domestic water enters the
school and is directed to the boiler
room, but because of the leak,
enormous amounts of water were
escaping. This water was sitting in
passages under the Home Economics
department as well as the sheet metal
room and other related areas. While
the water was being drained, the
heater had to stay off.
A janitor at the school said that the
heater could be returned to normal
operation once a cap was installed to
stop the leak.
Because this procedure is fairly
simple and can be completed in a
relatively short time, classes were
expected to resume on Wednesday,
thus ending an early holiday for
students and staff alille.
Finally, kids, that long stretch
from Christmas to winter break
has finally passed, and you can all
look forward to 4. week off of school
to relax. Now you can catch up on
you studies ,(small chance) or find
out what's new with All My
Children, or As the World Turns, or
any of the other afternoon soaps to
which many have become ad-
dicted.
Some students will be off on
trips, but not as • many as in
previous years, we understand.
But according to the weather-
man,
eatherman, the March break isn't go to be
.very nice, weatherwise, so sun-
bathing on the beach at Bayfield
will definitely be out.
In fact, we've had more winter so
far in the first 12 days of March
than we had all winter, and a
number of schools have already
been closed because of poor
visibility three days this month,
after escaping what i5 `usually the
bad time . for absenteeism -
January and February.
+ ++ ,
But the Main Street Wit says to
take heart, spring is not far off. His
definition of spring is somewhat
different than mine, though. The
Wit says spring is when we count
our blessings and the government
counts our cash.
+ + +
Well, it looks like hockey as far
as the juniors is concerned, is
through for the season, but there is
still a couple of weeks left ' for
followers of other less skilled
.,4r,KZ.
hockey. One . w L.nuse chances
comes this Saturday evening when
the newly, formed Optimist Club
battles the CKNX Try-Hards at 8
pm at the Clinton arena. Should be
a fun contest.
+ ++
Often in this, space, we are very
critic the poor participation by
area • le in attending functions,
so . change, will offer our
congrn tlations to the thousands of
people who supported events at the
.;,arena in the past couple of weeks.
Friday night, for instance, there
were well over a 1,000 people' out
for the figure skating club's Stars
on Ice, and words don't describe
the happy feeling that was left with
the kids. Also several thousand
more showed• up to cheer on the
junior Mustangs last week in three
home games that proved to be the
last for the boys, who put on a good
show. Better luck next year,
Stangs!
+ + +
We'd like to welcome another
new correspondent to out pages
this week, this time from Bayfield,
where Bud Sturgeon has joined the
Bugle staff and will be working
with . Gwen Pemberton to track
down all of the.latest news in the
village • with Canada's greatest
sunsets. Bud is replacing our old
faithful, Milvena Erickson, who
was lured out of retirement to help
out the past couple of months or so.
+ + +
"Worry," says the Wit, "pulls
,tomorrow's cloud over today's
sunshine."
period.
"If you bring in people from outside
the area they often don't stay," he
said. "But people here could be
trained fora specific job and they are
a known quantity."
Robert Allan, the board's
representative on the industrial
committee - said_ - that community- _
colleges have a closer liason with
industry in regards to technical.
training programs but was optimistic
that about more involvement' at -the
high school level. He pointed out that
many local industries hire high school
students.
Board member Herb Turkheim
asked if technical training should not
be left with the community colleges.
Longwell- told him there was a need
for communication between high
schools and colleges and a need for co-
ordination of programs: -
Over 500 persons turned out last Wednesday night, March 5 to the official
opening and open house of the new addition to the Clinton Christian School. The
addition, which includes a large gymnasium -auditorium, kitchen, and .change
rooms, was built by John Gunn, right, of XDG Construction of Kitchener who
turned the key over to Jack Roorda, left, chairman of the board, and John
Maaskant, building committee chairman. (News -Record photo)
Two hunt in snowy crash
A two car crash south of Clinton on
March 11 resulted in $2,100 in
damages and. left two people with
minor injuries. -d,
The Goderich OPP reported that
Charles East, 43, of RR 4, Clinton and
Nellie Nott, 63, of Clinton both
received minimual injuries after the
cars they were driving collided.
Both vehicles were southbound on
1 -Highway 4, south of Clinton when the
accident occurred. Neither driver
was hospitalized but damage to the
East vehicle was set at $1,500 and $600
to the Nott car.
Icy streets were blamed as a cause
of one accident in Clinton this Week.
The Clinton Police reported -that a
March 9 accident at the 'intersection
of High and. East Streets ''resulted in
$800 damages.
Police reported that a car driven by
Harold Love, 45, of Goderich received
$300 in damages and a second vehicle
driven by Susan Coombs, 21, of RR 2,
Seaforth received $500 in damages
after the two collided at the in-
tersection.
On March 7, Clinton Police
reported, a parked car received $400
in damages after it was struck on the
right'side by an unknown vehicle.
. The damaged .car,parkedon the
left side of Maple Street was owned by
Weather
1980 1979
HI LO
HI LO
MARCH
4 3 -8
5 2 `7
'6 '-3 -13
/ -1 -12
8 -. 2 - 16
9 -1.5 -18
10 4 «.3 •
Snow 8 cm
7.5 2.5
4 -1
1 •1
4 ..6
4 -.4.5
3 4
1 -3
Snow 2 cm
Florence Symon of Orangeville. -
Police reported two cases of van-
dalism on Saturday night when
bottles where thrown through win-
dows and the Public Works building
and Wise Applicance Centre on the
Boyfield Road.
Telephone System, and their 12 -year-
old daughter Tracy was in class at
Huron Centennial 4- School in
Brucefield at the time.
Mrs. Poswalk was later pronounced
dead at the scene by Huron County
coroner Dr. R.W. Flowers of Clinton,
who has ordered a post mortem, to be
held Wednesday in Stratford.
Dr. Flowers has also called in the
fire marshal's office - to investigate the
- cause of the blaze, which completed
destroyed the home and all the
family's belongings, causing an
estimated $40,000 damage.
The fire marshal's report was
expected to be ready sometime later
this week.
The fire was out of control when the
_Brucefield firehrigad.P4,arrived arld
the volunteers were hamperedhi r
fighting the blaze by high winds,
blizzard condition's, and a lack of
water. They had to call in the Bayfield
tanker and pumper, and eventually
the Clinton tanker before the fire was
finally extinguished four hours later.
The Bayfield Lioness Club have
turned their St. Patrick'.s dance next
Saturday evening, March 22 into an
benefit dance for the surviving
Poswalk family members.
Donations of clothing 'and money
are being taken at the Varna Lucky
Dollar' Store until Friday, when they
will be taken to Detroit, Michigan,
where the Poswalks are staying.
PUC to increase
hydro, water charges
Hydro and water users in Clinton
will see their hydro and water bills
rise in April, but for most people, the
rise will only amount to a couple of
dollars. '
Electric power users will face a 13:6
per cent increase in their hydro bills
starting with April consumption, and
the average bill will -increase about $5
a month for a user of 1,000 kilowats of
energy.
The minimum bill will rise from
$3.50 to $4 a month for hydro users.
There will be an across tfie board
increase in the water bills as well,
with all consumers paying an extra $1
per month, regardless of usuage,
while the other rates of 30 cents per
100 cubic feet of water will remain the
same.
Guss Boussey, general manager of
the Clinton Public Utilities (PUC),
said the sewage surcharge will
remain the same each month in terms
of actual dollars paid, while the
percentage of the water bill will be
reduced from 230 per cent to 180 per
cent of the water used.
For example, a consumer using the
minimum a month of water would see
their water bill go from $2 to $3, while
their sewage surcharge would remain
the same at $8 per month. The sewage
charge is to pay. for the cost of
operating the sewage plant and to pay
off a debenture for its construction.
Mr. Boussey said the waterworks
system had lost $15,000 last year
because of low water consumption in
town, and ttie rate hadn't been raised
since 1974.
"Even with the new rate Clinton
people pay the second lowest water
rate in Ontario, about 50 cents per
thousand gallons bf water," he said.
Mr. Boussey also hoped to cut the
water deficit with an increase in the
fire hydrant charge from $45 dollars
per year per hydran. to $65 per year,
which would cost ' the town about
$1;500 more a.year.
"The fire hydrant charge hasn't
been increased since 1947, more than
30 years, and most other towns in the
area charge between $90 and $125 per
year," Mr. Boussey said.
The reason for the hydro rate in-
crease was- because of a 16.4 per cent
increase in wholesale charges from
Ontario Hydro on January 1, 1980. Mr.
Boussey said and the PUC could only
absorb those increases until April 1st.
Tax hire may hit Goderich
GUDERICH. • Town
council and committee
members have been
forced to make a $330,000
cut in the proposed 1980
budget.
Goderich council
recently learned from
finance chairman Reeve
Eileen Palmer that
without the necessary
cuts, commercial and
residential properties in
Goderich would face a
24.7 per cent increase in
taxes.
R ee.ve
Palmer
told
council, "A 50 mill in-
crease for municipal
purposes is downright
ridiculous," and said that
budgets could be trim-
med.
Cutting $330,000 from
the. proposed budget
would result in the same
mill rate as in 1979, but
the finance committee is
recommending that the
municipality should
consider increasing the
general mill rate to
establish a reserve for
building and equipment.
"It is felt that this is
necessary since the
surplus (from 1979), in
the amount of $211,300,
will not likely exist at
December 31, 1980 and
the municipality should
prepare itself ac-
cordingly," Reeve
Palmer told council.
She noted that any
increase in the mill rate
should be kept as low as
possible due to the
"major reassessment" in
1980.
"Alright disco pigeons, are you ready fbr your number?"
asked Diane Kirton of her charges, prior to their number
at the Clinton Figure Skating Club's Stars on Ice show
last Friday night in Clinton. The show attracted more
than 1,000 spectators. The pigeons included Lisa Beattie,
Shannon Dill, Jennifer Jewitt, Sherri Levis, Lori
Livermore, Sherri Preszcator, and Angela Red. (photo
by Vern Sawyer)
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