HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1980-10-30, Page 1Bad news (good news for shoppers) travels fast, as
proved last Saturday and Monday when, the Gerrard's
Shopping Centre clothing 'store put their entire stock on.
sale at 50 per cent off. The. store had .suffered some
smoke damage during the hotel fire recently. At one
r
point, the line-up took over half an hour to move from In,
front of the store, as Gerrard employees. only let a
shopper in when another went out. (James Fitzgerald,
photo)
75th year'-'--No.-44
Thur` s day, October -30
980
Second nominations don't fill seats,
By Jim Fitzgerald
Despite :a second nomination period
last week., there at'e still vacancies on
two area municipal councils.,
Only two people, Wayne Lester and
Ross Jewitt, submitted their names in
Clinton when the nominations were
reopened on Wednesday leaving the
six member . council one Member
.short. Mr, Lester is•`Administrator of
Huronview, while. Mr, Jewitt is a
driver -salesman for Scruton Fuels.
Earlier last week, incumbent
councillors Rosemary Armstrong,
George Rambail. and Ron McKay had '
been acclaimed. .
Clinton Clerk Cam Proctor said it
would now be up to the new council on
how they fill, the vacant seat after
their inaugural meeting in December.
Goderich Township is also in the
same boat, after no one came forward
during the second nomination period
last Wednesday,- lea ing_ane-council_
seat vacant. Incumbents Chester
Mcllwain and Chester Sturdy were
returned by acclamation.
An election story •in last week's
paper failed to say that Councillor.
Frank Van Altena was acclaimed the
new Deputy Reeve in Clinton.
Although there won't be an election
in Clinton, as all"positions were filled
by acclamation, most .of the area
township voters, will ,be going to the
polys on Monday, November 10, ex-
cept for McKillop.
Goderich Township and Colborne
will` be choosing between Joan Van
Den Broeck and Donalda Brindley.,
both from Colborne, as their board of
education representative as a second
nomination brought th forward.
Goderich Township
ip will also
choosing a new reeve between in-
cumbent Grant Stirling and
challenger Garnet Wright, the
present deputy reeve.
A real battle is- shaping up in
Stanley Township, as the voters go the
the polls for the first ti -me in 10 years.
Incumbent Reeve Tom Consitt is
being challenged by Deputy Reeve
Vanastra loses fight over rec centre debenture
by Wilma Oke
The ratepayers in the hamlet of
Vanastra will continue to be
responsible for paying off a $130,000
debenture debt for the Vanastra
recreation centre.
An amending bylaw placing the
responsibility on Vanastra ratepayers
was ; approved Thursday by. the
Ontarfow Ithicipal: 'Board following a
day -long, hearing held at the
recreation centre attended by 65•�
persons.,
fi rs-t- cci'u--nn-
The .amending bylayyvv corrects one
passed in 1974 that, because it was
wrongly worded by officials at the
ministry of treasury and in-
tergovernmental affairs, placed
responsibility for. paying off the
centre debt on all ratepayers in
Tuckersmith township which has a,
populationof 3,031.
EvLde .;ce,":presented to , the GMB
showed the intention of the 1974bylaw
was to restrict responsibility for
paying the debt to residents of the
- It's surprising- what one _carr -
learn by just asking a few
questions, __ something any _g_ood
reporter' or nosy-bursyhodTknewwalk
along.
Take for instance a couple of
week's ago in this column when I
wondered what ever happened to
some of Clinton's past
organizations, including the
Centennial Band of five years ago.
Well, no sooner had the paper hit
the street when my question was
answered by Rob Parr, a musically
talented teacher over at Central
Huron Scondary School.
Rob tells us, that the band's
executive of Bill Hearn, Semus
Doherty, John Wise and Bill Craig,
have loaned the band's in-
struments, to the school, and in just
a short while, the town may be
blessed with the sweet sounds of a
brass band once again.
by
jim fitzgerald
-early,. -as— about midnight last
Friday they draggged the whole
fire departmentout to answer a
false alarm at a non -e -xi -stent ad-
dress on Isaac Street.
+ ++
As well, be sure to keep -an eye
out for all those youngsters who
will be on the loose collecting
goodies on Friday night and we
remind you' to remember the
Londesboro Lions on Saturday
morning, as they make their
monthly pick-up of papers.
But please, for just this month,
don't put your papers out the night
before, as it just gives the trickers
more ammunition.
+ + +
It's not often that I have to eat
my words, or at least admit to it,
but after Tuesday night's budget, it
looks like the electors have jumped
• of efireb
z uctices—are--held as extra- fro
curricular activities on Wednesday
and Friday morning at 8 am, and
Thursday afternoon at 2:30 pm.
++ +
You know, the longer I'm in this
business, the more convinced I am
that man evolved from some sea
slug who crawled out of the mud,
rather than someone who was
supposed to be made in the image
of God.
For instance, in the past week,
the town and even the county has
been filled with some of the worse
innuendo, untruth and malicious
gossip I have ever heard. It all
concerns the arsonist or arsonists
who started the hotel fire a couple
of weeks ago. It's incredible that
people would start or even believe
such rumors.
The truth of the matter at this
• point is that no one has, been
arrested.
+ + +
As the Main Street Wit said the
other day: "People will believe
anything if you whisper it."
Our annual night of fear and
tripedation is • corning up this
Friday night, as everyone cringes
in their homes, wondering what the
vandals will be up to this year on
Hallowe'en night.
Both the police and the fire
departments will.' have
strengthened patrols out in full
force this Friday night to nip any
troublein the bud.
The trouble makers were out
11
1 • • c 1 _
turf„airtg out the Clark's Tqrys last
winter and installing Trudeau's
henchmen.
Why compared to Trudeau's
doubling of gasoline prices in the
next couple of years, Clark's 14
cent excise tax looks like a
present!
+ + +
The Main Street Wit .said Wed-
nesday morning that it sort of .
reminded him of that Fram Oil
Filter commercial, where the guy
says: "You can pay me now or pay
me later." Only with the Liberals,
the Wit says it's a case of "paying
me now AND paying me later."
+ ++
"It's one thing to see the editor in
church regularly," the Wit said the
other week, "but to see him up in•
the choir loft singing his lungs'out
is enough to send me into shock."
He was refering to a special
men's chorus who will give a
performance at Wesley -Willis this
coming Sunday.
I'm not the only unrepentant
there however, as our ranks in-
clude grocers, lawyers, dentists,
teachers, etc. They sound mightly
good, though.
+ + +
Be" on the lookout next Monday
evening, November 3 for . the
Clinton Optimist Club, who will be
canvassing the town for the
Arthrtic Society. This is the first
year the club will be doing the
canvass, so welcome them when
they come to your doe.
hamlet, which has a population of 622.
Despite the error, the township has
been charging the debt only to
Vanastra residents for the past six
years.
Councillor William Brown of
Egmondville discovered the mistake
recently while searching, through old
records and Tuckersmith council was
advised by,,Q,M8..to pass a new
to correct the ol'd one.
When 83" residents protested the
revision, the OMB called a hearing.
Eight witnesses were called. They
were George Penfound, who works
with the Huron County Planning
Board in land use responsibility. He
provide& maps establishing the
location of Vanastra, a former
Canadian Forces Base in the
Township of Tuckersmith_
Jim McIntosh of RR4 Seaforth, the
former clerk of the 'township from
June 1961 to June 1977 gave the
history of the hamlet and the story of -
the bylaw. He explained when the
petition was received from 96
Vanastra businessmen and residents,
it was accepted by council and he was
instructed to prepare a bylaw. He
askkd the ministry of treasury and
intergovernmental aff airs :ior. a, copy
of a bylaw on which to base the
township bylaw. The Vanastra
petition, received in April 1974, asked
the township to set up a recreation
area and purchase a former church
for a community hall; the former .
curling rink to be used for a skating
arena hockey, figu-re ska-ting,
broomball; and a small park; and a
new outdoor swimming pool was tube
built, all to be .paid by levies against
the rateable property in the hamlet
Turn to page 3 •
Vandals keeppolice busy
By Shelley McPhee
According to Police Chief Lloyd
Westlake, Clinton isn't in as bad
• shape' as some municipalities, but like
most other towns and cities in
Ontario, Clinton is increasingly facing
incidents of thefts, wilful damage and
vandalism.
The Chief is advising people to take
extra care of their personal
belongings and is stressing the
necessity of securing locks on homes,
businesses and motor vehicles when
they are left by the owners.
The warning is not idle and Chief
Westlake said that in the past week
vestigating over six cases of wilful
damage and theft. Some people have
been apprehended in connection with
these.
Police learned that sometime
between October 6 and 20 while he
was in hospital, Jack Spearin's
Clinton home was broken into and his
collection of coins was stolen.
In another incident, a Clinton
woman reported that $200 was taken
from her home when thieves gained
Secnd teachers
get fact finder
Malcolm Stockton, the fact finder
appointed by the Education Relations
Commission to the negotiations
between the secondary teachers and
trustees of the Huron County Board of
Education, submitted his report to the
Commission on October 21.
As required under section 27l) of
The School Boards and Teachers
Collective Negotiations Act, 1975, the,
teachers and trustees will then have a
further 15 'days to continue
negotiations on the basis of this
report. There is a provision for an
additional five days under Section
27(3) of the Act if both trustees and
teachers agree and if the Commission
gives its approval.
If at the end of this time the parties
have not made or renewed an
agreement then the Education
Relations Commission will make the
fact finder's report public.
Paul $teekle, while Councillors iron
McGregor and Don 'Brodie are facing
off for the deputy reeve's chair. .Four
persons will be seeking the three
councillor's seats, including in-
cumbent Clarence Rau, and
newcomers Bill Chipchase, Jack
Coleman and Howard Armstrong.
in Hullett, Councillor Tom Cun- .
ningham is challenging incumbent
-TOO Thinking for the reeve's chair,
while four are seeking the three
council positions, including Ron
Gross, Melvin Knox, Clare Vincent
and incumbent John Flynn.
In Auburn, four peoiple are seeking
the three trustee positions open' in the
police village, including Warner
Andrews, John Harrison, Robert
Gordon Powell and James Schneider.
In Tuckersmith, voters will have to
choose between William Brown and
Robert Fotheringham, for the deputy
„r gee's chair. Both are _counci`llors,
while six are seeking the three council
—
seats, including Robert Broadfoot,
John Brownridge, Lloyd Eisler, Jan
Ferguson, Betty McLean and Jim
Papple.
There will nnly he a race for reeve
in Colborne Township as incumbent
Wittiam°Bogie is being challenged by
Deputy Reeve `Robert Jewell.
In lay Township, ont�t�et%'��
council ..seatsr1eedtobe filled with.
five .names on the ballot, lneluding,
Tony Bedard, Dick Rau, Don teiger
Geral,Shantz and Clare Diechert,
Bayfield will pick four new cowl.,
cillors from the five who 'filled out
nomination papers including David
Johnston, Barb Sturgeon and in-
cumbents John Chapman,, Gwen
Pemberton and. Reg Wilson.
Except for the board of education
seat, which like all others in the area. --
was filled by 'acclamation, Hensalt
has a full ballot, with Councillors Paul
Neilands and Harry Klungel fighting
it out for the reeve's seat, while seven
are seeking the four council seats,
including two women,. Incumbents
Richard Packham and Klaas Van
Wieren are being challenged by Sadie
—MT -Gary Huston, Mfnnie-- ,
Cecil Pepper and John Skea.
Three are seeking the two PUC
seats, including Harold Knight, Gary
Maxwell and incumbent Charles Hay.
Betting off 5%
Attendance down at track
Although betting at the Clinton
Kinsmen Raceway was only down
five per cent this summer from last
year, attendance sagged 15 per cent,
and has some racetrack officials
concerned.
The average bet at the 10 -year-old
harness racing track was 64,954 for
the 14 Sundays raced, compared to an
average of 68,947 last year.
Attendance was down to an average
of 1,074 person per program, com-
pared to_ the 1,262 that. went through
the gates on average in 1979.
• Total attendace for the 14 Sundays
entry to her house through an
unlocked door. The robbery occurred
on October 22.
An attempted theft was made at the
Clinton Chrysler Plymouth dealership
on October 20 and the Clinton Auto
Body shop on Mary Street has faced
three batterings in the past week,
resulting in a total breakage of 15
windows and replacement of a front
plate glass window.
Police were also busy this past
week investigating car accidents
throughout the town,.
OnOctober 25, a car driven by
Stanley Gilbert, 18, of Clinton, went
• 1 I1 1
S .
this year was 15,032, compared to
21,266 for 15 Sundays last year.
The total mutuel handle this year
was $909,357 for 14 programs, com-
pared to $1,034,216 for the 15
programs last<year.
Raceway officials blame the
decrease this year on the slumping
economy, but won't know if there's a
profit until the audit is done later this.
fall:
Last year, the Kinsmen lost $2,000
on the raceway, while making $15,000
on ,. the betting machines they own
which are rented to several other
tracks.
Six-year-old Paul Brideau was anxious to, show dad Larry Brideau all his
Grade 1 work at the Vanastra Public School open house. Over 80 per cent of the
students' parents came out to meet the teachers and view their children's
school work. (Shelley McPhee photo)
No arrest yet for fire
By Jim Fitzgerald
Polic aven't charged anyone yet
over t._ Clinton Hotel fire that
destroyed the 73-year-o'ld-structure on
October 17, but have questioned a
nd n.rimher of poeple...and are continuing
slammed into a hydro pole. Damage
to the car was set at $1,000 and the
PUC• bill came to $1,200 for the
damaged pole.
A parked car owned by Daniel
Poulin of RR 4, Clinton received $1,000
in damage following an October 18
crash involving a second car driven
by Louise Tideswell of Clinton.
Damage to the Tideswell car was set
at $800.
A PUC pole received $400 ' in
damages after a car driven by Steven
Riley, 18, of St. Thomas failed to
complete a 'U' turn and hit the pole's
guy wire. The car he was driving
escaped unscratched in the October 25
incident.
Jill Muir; 16, of Seaforth received
minor injuries following an October
26, two -car crash at the intersection of
Ontario and East Streets in Clinton.
Two passengers in the Muir car were
not" injured, but damage to the car
was set at $1,000 in the crash that left
a second car with$1,500 in damages,
driven by Anthony Denomme, 18, of
Clinton.
`Also on October 26, Victoria Street
was the scene of a four car pile-up
that left over $3,000 in damages.
The driver of one vehicle, Timothy
Proctor, 17, of Clinton received minor
injuries in the fender -bender that left
his car with $1,000 in damages.
A car driven by Daniel Merner, 18,
of RR 3, Clinton received $1,500 in
damages, while $400 in damages was
done to a car driven by Garth
Hargreaves, 20, of BrucefieId and the
car driven by Beverly Dodds, 20, of
Clinton received $300 in damages.
their investigation.
Clinton Police Chief Lloyd Westlake
would only repeat this week that the
fire was definitely set and Fire
Marshal Bob Adams of Mount Forest
hadn't made his report public yet.
Chief Westlake wouldn't say if the
hotel fire was connected with two
other small, deliderately set fires
several weeks ago at Van Dyke's
Aluminum 4 and Blake's Welding.
Police are asking that citizens report
any suspicious persons to them im-
mediately.
The hotel fire, which sent seven
people fleeing in their night clothes,
caused an estimated $500,000 damage
and put 10 full and partime employees
out of work.
The blaze, which at one point
threatened to spread to the adjacent
Gerrard's Shopping Centre and wipe
out the whole block, was fought by fire
Wea ther
1986 19.79
1HI LO HI 10
October
21 8
22 7
23
24
25
26
27
7.5
1395
6
,Rain 21.4
4 ,-,24 17
2 25 .'17
-4 18 6
0 7 2
3 4 -1
1 3 •-1
1 6' -1.5
. No rain
departments from Clinton, Goderich
and Seaforch before it was contained.
Clinton Fire Chief Clarence Neilans
said this week he was especially
thankful to all those generous,
anonymous people who brought free
coffee and sandwiches to the firemen
during the night.
Hotel owner Des Cassidy, whose
family is living in a mobile home in
the hotel parking lot, said this week he
isn't Sure yet 'whether he will rebuild
or not.
"''We're not sure of the ;insurance
settlement yet, and with- the high
interest rates, I just don't know," he
said.
Meanwhile, the charred ruins of the
three-storey structure still greets
visitors to the downtown area and
remains a visible reminder of a near
tragedy.
Advance polls
on Saturday
If you're going to be away, or
unable to vote in the municipal
elections on November 10, you will
have only one chance to vote ahead of
time at an advance poll.
In mr�u,nicipal ities with elections,
advance polls will•.be held this coming
Saturday, November 1 from 9 am to 8
pm, usually at the clerk's office.
If you aren't sure if you can make
either the advance poll or the regular
poll, you can have a proxy vote cast
by someone else, but you must con-
tact your clerk for details first before
November 10.
You can also check with the clerk if
you/re still not sure you are on the
voter's list.