HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1980-07-31, Page 1eathei
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July
22 25 15 29 13
23 24. 8 34 14
24 26 8 30.5 19.
'25 27 12 25 204
26 22.5 18 22 '15
27 26 17 25' 13.
28 21 , 17.5 23 13.5
Rain 46.4 mm
Rain 36 mm
anastta residents want cost sharing on centre...
By Wilma Oke Residents are hoping to force an
Tuckersmith Township council's Ontario Municipal Board hearing on
intention to correct a six-year-old by- the issue by flooding the township
law is meeting opposition from office with protests against the by-
residents
yresidents and property owners of' law. Deadline for protests is today
Vanastra. ' (Thursday).
—About-55---ariast-ra-residents-tu-rnen -- - a---inot-i ieat-ion--of- Monday
meeting to residents, Rev. Peter
Mantel of the Vanastra Christian
-Church said the new by-law is.
township council's attempt "to'rtake
legal that which has' been done
, illegally for six years, namely . to
out Monday night at a meeting in ,.
Vanastra to protest the, ''unfairness
and injustice" of a proposed bylaw
which .would leave them responsible`,
for a $130,000 debenture for the
hamlet's recreation and community'
centre.
Replacing the roof on the swimming pool change,room became a community
affair last week, as volunteers worked at stripping off the old shingles in
preparation for a new roof. Here Clinton recreation committee member and
town councillor Ron McKay gets help fro _.on McKay Jr. and Paul Wright.
(James Fitzgerald photo l
Rabies con increase
but no
clinics{ set
By Jason Abillle
Rabies, the disease which attacks.
the nervous system of man and
animals and causes madness and
death, is on the increase in the Clinton
area, says the Health of Animals
Branchof the Federal department of
Agriculture at Seaforth.
W.J. Thompson, the District:
Veterinarian for the branch, said that
there have been 27 reported cases of
rabies this year, up from only nine
cases re•
ported at this time one year
ago.The predominant carrier of the
virus is the fox, andthat animal is
passing it off to other, domesticated
animals such as dogs and cats.
Thompson said that _some cattle
have died from the disease and many
more have been quarantined.
If exposed;. nan animal:: must xbeh
isolated 'for "six months during,which
time it cannot be sold.
"Exposure constitutes being in the
vicinity of a rabid animal and having
: any contact with it," he said. Even a
person shooting a diseased animal
then handling it could be subject to
the highly contagious condition,
although the virus is, usually Iran-
-sported in die saliva.
- The- Huron -County -Health Unit, in
Goderich, said that there have been
reported cases of rabid wildlife this
year, but that there has been no
human involvement as yet. However,
precautionary injections have been
administered to several people who
are believed to have handled animals
diagnosed as rabid.
The Health Unit said that there are
no pet vaccination clinics planned
---because _the outbreak is not serious
enough -to warrant such action and
because clinics do not, often fulfill_
-their purpose..
In light of the. fact that the outbreak
has tripled in 1980, people are asked to
• beware of the situation. The Health of
Animals, Branch warnedthat a_fox or
skunk . seen in the daylight hours is
suspect and that these animals may
bite whatever moves.
Real estate sales
equal last year
Despite a record number of houses
for sale in Clinton, sales of property so
this year_are only slightly behind last
year, says Clinton real, estate agent
John Duddy.
Mr. Duddy says that so far in the
first six months of 1980 in Clinton, 34
properties worth $1,144,125 have,
changed , hands, down only slightly
from last year, when 35 properties
worth $1,260,750 were sold.
Unlike other years, he said, the best
month for his firm this year was June,
unlike other years when the best
sellin g month was A -ril: P
"People will be getting the wrong
impression of. Clinton," Mr. Duddy
said about a story in last week's
News -Record about a record' number
of homes for sale in Clinton.
"The situation is no different in
other towns or cities," he added,
"there's just as many homes for sale
there as well. It's a buyers market."
"Dad,"'the eager five-year-old in
our house asked the other day,
"when does kindergarten start?"
"Pretty soon," I replied ab-
sentmindedly, before suddenly
realizing that this weekend marks
e half -way
holidays, and as any older kid
knows, once the calendar flips into
August, it's downhill all the way
until September and the first day of
school.
• Little Andrea is -'rearing to get into
school, but I'm not so sure all the
other kids are as willing, Some
parents will be glad to see school
start again,,especially after a wet,
dreary -weekend like last weekend
when rain kept the kids under
mom's feet.
+ + +
Yes, Civic holiday weekend is
here again and Monday will be a
holiday for most people here in
Ontario. Most stores, and ,all
government offices will be closed
Monday, including the post office,
where only the lock box lobby Will
be open.
As well, no banking services will
be available and the community
spirit stores will also be dried up:
+ + +
With all the traffic expected on
the highway this weekend, the
\Main Street Wit says that people
should drive as if your family were
in the ether car.
"It takes thousands of.nuts to put
art automobile together," says the
Wit, "but only one to scatter it all
over the road.
+ + +
Because this weekend also
contains the first Saturday in the
month, the Londesboro Lions will
be out bright and early to stage
their monthly newspaper' pick-up
in town. Try ;and have them out to
the curb before 9 am.
+ + +
It seems the department of
revenue is slighlty annoyed with a
report that all of the $25 cost of
point in the sumer those tickets to the -gala pool party
on September are
The revenue boys say only a part of
the ticket can be considered a
donation.
Well, the committee has it,set up
that if you give a $25 or more
donation to the pool fund, you will
get a ticket to they party, whether
you come or not. The food for the.
. bash is being supplied by the
town's service clubs as part of their
continuing pledge to help -pay for
the pool, so that all the ticket
money goestothe pool.
+ + +
The pool fund also grew by $300
last week, when Joe Dunsmore,
area representative for Molson's
Brewery, turned over a cheque to
the town.
+ +
The Wit says that donation is
very appropriate, as both Molsons
and the pool are trying to keep
things "wet."
+ + +
In a story in last week's paper on
the recreation and relaxation
summer program. in Clinton, we
should have left the impression .the
hard-working Steve Campbell is
the co-ordinator of the project, and
the driving force behind the whole
excellent scheme.
Vandals were out on Clinton's Main Street on Monday night,' and broke ofa -
tree In one of the planters, and scattered flowers over the sidewalk from
another. Police questioned severalyouths, but no arrests were made ((James
Fitzgerald photo)
make the Vanastra people only pay
for the original loan of $130,000 on the
recreation centre, instead of
spreading this debt fairly over all the
people of Tuckersmith Township, as
all the people in the township have the
opportunity to make use and benefit
from the facilities".
Six years ago in April, 1974,
Tuckersmith council accepted a
" petition bearing 96 names, reported to
be 79 per cent of the names of
registered property owners at
Vanastra, to set up the recreation
area by buying the curling rink and
one of the churches at Vanastra,
which was the former Canadian
Forces Base, located about two miles
south of Clinton."
At that time, spokesman for the
group presenting the petition, Dick
Lehnen, said the petitioners would
support the project through taxes
levied against their respective
properties (12 mills for 1974) which
called for the establishment of a
community hall, a swimming pool,
park and skating arena.
—Mr .L iNWWitt life clfil "would
be used as a community hall; the
curling rink would be. used for minor
hockey, curling,figure skating,
broomball, ice rentals, a club lounge
and in summer indoor tennis; -far--
mers' market, bowling, etc.; a picnic
pavilion would be erected in the park
and a baseball diamond and a new
outdoor . swimming pool would be
constructed: He - estimated total ex-
penditures would amount to $163,012.
At that time, council agreed to
finance the project b
rdebenture sales,
of $130-,000 payable in 20 years with
Vanastra residents assuming the debt
and through grants from the ministry
of. community and social services
estimated to amount to $30,060:
Tuckersmith submitted a by-law
covering the project to the Ontario
Municipal Board for approval.
However, for some reason that has
not been determined at this time, the
by-law No, • 40 1974 authorized a
debenture issue of $130,000 over 20
years at 93/ per cent for the
acquisition of an auditorium, arena
and swimming pool at the community
known as Vanastra and with the levy
of such debentures to be made on all
the rateable property in the Township
of Tuckersmith.
In spite of the by-law spreading the
cost over all the residents . of
- Tuckers rnith-, council has -in _--fact
charged it only against Vanastra
ratepayers for the past six years.
This discrepancy came to light
Wet land delays grain harvest
may seem like we're never
satisfied," said Huron's agricultural
representative Don Pullen on
'Tuesday about the state of crops in
the county.
Last week, he said, farmers in the
central part of the county were
complaining because of the dry
conditions and were hoping for a few
good showers, while their peers in the
North and south sections of the
county, particularly the Exeter area,
were praying for dry weather:
Now, after,a weekend of heavy rain
0-m"h-m res of
rain (2 inches) dumped on all of the
county, all the farmers are hoping for
warm, dry weather so they can get
the ' fall wheat and spring grains
harvested, and the second cut hay off.
Should the dry weather return this
week, Mr. Pullen said a bumper crop
of winter wheat and spring grains
could be harvested, and the second
cut hay crop is second to none, just
like the first cut.
Other than the concern over too
much moisture. Mr. Pullen said there
-1-++
You know, we here at the News -
Record just love to print news, and
we're busting our seams trying to
contain a "biggy" .over a Bayfield.
So hold on, we let you know as soon
as the news breaks.
Downed line puts
Bayfield in black
Hundreds of people on the Bayfield
area were without power on Saturday
night for up to 51/2 bo'hrs, after a tree
fell across,a large power line.
A spokesman' for the Clinton office
of Ontario Hydro office said the tree
took out a 27,000 volt feeder line just
north of Bayfield, blacking out a large
area. ,.
Because the line . runs across
country, the Hydro crews had to
patrol it on foot until they could locate
and fix the break, and electrical
power was restored about 2:30 am.
A spokesman for Hydra said the
tree may have been laying across the
line since a' wind storm several weeks
ago, and Only brought the line down
when the limbs became heavy in the
weekend rain stores.
wasn't really anything to too upset
over.'
"Despite a nearly disastorous start,
the corn crop has caug#a.t right up and
prospects now are for an average
yield," Mr. Pullen said. The crop is
lush and green because of good
nitrogen take-up and much of it us
coming into tassel
"We sure couldn't have said that a
few weeks ago," he said, referring to
the cold June that saw four frosts, and
the corn only ankle high by the first of
July.
"We have a lot to be thankful for
here in Huron," he said, citing parts
of Canada and the world that are
suffering this year from adverse
weather and crop failures.
Mr. Pullen said the wheat • and
spring grain harvest would get un-
derway simultaneously later this
week when fields dry out.
So far, he said thdre were no signs
of bean beetle or white mould in the
white beans, and said if producers
wished to spray a fungicide for bean
mould it would be as a preventative
measure. Further details on bean
.. - • le n the farm
at Clinton track
Two speedy horses sailed their way
around the Clinton Kinsmen Raceway
- -on Sunday, setting new track records
Beau Jim, owned by Larry W.
Ainsworth of Petrolia and driven by
Terry Kerr, stopped the clock in two
minutes, and • one-fifth second,.
eclipsing the old mark of 2:02.1 set by '
Scarlet Son on July 3,1977.
Beau JirrI's feat was acomplished in
the eighth race,, the first division of
the Ontario Sired . Stake for three-
year-old colt pacers:
Then in the tenth race, the second
division 'of the OSS stake, Teddy Be
Ready also broke the old mark when
he was timed in 2:01.4. Both horses
take home about $3,850 each for their
efforts. •
A' crowd of 1,427 turned out to see
the exciting races, and put $88,217
through the mutuel machines:: -the
highest bet this year. The all-time
record for the 11, years of the Clinton
track was $98,000 bet in July of 1979.
So far this year, crowds and mutuel
fax
page.'
when Councillor William Brown 'of
Egmondville wag combing through
old township documents.
The council is now trying to ,rectify
the problem by passing an amending.
by-law No. 11-1980. which if approved
would restrict such levy to the
rateable properly n� the unin-
corporated hamlet of Vanastra.
Ratepayers may within 21 days after ,
the first publication of the notice of
application by Tuckersmith for the
amending by-law, which was dated
July 9, 1980, make a written objection
to the amendment and his reasons.
The deadline for protests is Thursday.
Then• should.. the Ontario Municipal
Board hold a public hearing, those
people who have objected may attend
the meeting, and have the opportunity
to speak.
Mr. Mant' l said the original intent
' of the people of Vanastra has not been
lived up to and it should be paid by all
the township ratepayers. He said he
sees outside buses linedup before the
recreation centre and Saturday night,
cars from a wide area bring people
into the dance held there.
Vince Fowlie, a, -former Tucker -
smith Township councillor, said, "I
think the greatest misunderstanding
is that the people thought they would
own. the recreation facility. and . that..
the community would be responsible
for its -management, but this has not
come to pass."
He pointed out that the township
owns the recreation centre and the
residents only of Vanastra are being
heldresponsible for the $130,000
debenture. He said the hamlet -....of.....
Vanastra had been designated a
recreation area by the township when
it made Vanastra responsible for the
debenture debt.
"The people will have to look at the
removal of that designation," he said.
(Mr. Fowlie was acclaimed. in..
November, 1972 election to Tucker -
smith Council, but resigned in May,
.1974, citing that the community of
Vanastra was being ruthlessly ex-
ploited by the township in an ac -
Turn to page 3
Track record set
ba lightly in -
Clinton from last year.
r•
44,
A full schedule of activities is keeping the children
busy this summer At the Clinton playground.
Thesday was balloon day at the park and in one
game, the children had to pass a water -filled
balloon between their legs.