HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1971-02-04, Page 1•
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2‘ 124th -.YEAR '. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1971
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.Year THE.
storm,
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Roads blocked, thousands stranded, hundreds helpout
3 41,0t9 1 0,411Ktple),P.'
. , WArt:Ca"'(;;; wifa-4.RoadThe w driftingriowrVietortrI
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in the history books as the year -General 1-Iospital. Dr. Mills
of the big ,storm. Heavy sno* kept busy
and winds up to 70 miles an tending eh' giving
hour caught the area virtually medication and generally making
unprepared on Tuesday, JanuarY 'sure the children were receiving
, 26 blocking roads, stranding the care they needed. Two
' motorists and workers and children were taken home by the
•children with their teachers in men. --
, school: Goderich PUC water
Two full days of conditions • department employees were
described as the worst ever left ' faced with yepairing a -broken
- , the whole of Western Ontario water main in below zero
crippled, prompted many rescue weather Wednesday on Britannia
„bids, and„p resulted in, people
showing what they are,. really •
•made of when the chips are
down. JEt
Snowmobile operators proved
the machines have value when
used properly, 6y coming to the
rescue in . countless numbers
throughout the area; police Were
kept • busy- around the clock
stopping motorists from using -
roads 'that were impassable'
further out and searching stalled .
cars for Occupants.
• The weather gave the people of Goderich and Western Ontario something to talk about last week
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,te...,Reirveartaton*. s-sltiget‘VT4p&WeY2,4a)istisago4hiwtifto.t.
storm.
Some homes were left,'
withoand
toward heat an,toward the end.'
of, the week local stores Were
running short of food.
From Tueiday morning when
the storm first started until the
final let up Friday afternoon
over ,30 inches of snow had
blanketed the area, No accurate ,
figure could be had for the
. immediate area as the Godetieh
Weather - office trailer • was
destroyed, by fire Tuesday night. —
• Fire lighters were unable to
reach the vehicle which was
parked at . the Sky Harbour
Airport. The. trailer was used as a
temporary facility since the •
weather office was destroyed
last year in the fire that also
destroyed the main hanger at the
airport. ,
was. •01,rich main. broke when the Elgin wasblocked by drifts and
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ured
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- - and for. many years to come. Over 30 inches of snow in three day's accompanied by winds that ... • Power crews :labounder
• extreme conditions torestore
,_ , _austeci to 7Q ,miies an floor literally_ c„hoked the area to a standstill. Many ,people including over a e.,..,.
-,4-5;---- — , ,,,-, :- .• .. • • . ,-- , - , '.—, -- ,' - , ..: ••,...-. • . -..,--. •.. ,-...••, -- 7 — ---. - • ..,,- -----',,----,--- .•-• -----------------po-wer,-.4r-....-ou lying,- areas...,
thousand area children, were stranded and food siipPlies°began to run short towardtheend Of the .•, ' ' • t - ' • '
. ..., " residents used tractors, buses,
week. :the Court House on 'The Square gave the impression being buried, but most of this snow „
. ° trucks and military vehicles, •
• was put there by the snow -plows. .
-Staff Photo ' . . ' "' along with4-he snowmobiles -.to- --------
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- reach schools where children ,
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go.
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,treLd w it subsided.,, A Britannia Road was closed from
special section of pipe had to be- Victoria Street to 'Huron Road ,
installed. . by drifting snow. Almost all side
Town works crews and snow. roads in town were closed.
removal° crews of the Ontario Walking. was 'a' hazard and
Highways were kept working pedestrians were forced to duck
from early morning trying • to often to avoid, being struck by
keep roads open. On Tuesday falling tree lirribs and were
evening town streets were showered with a constant hail of
• blocked, With snow, motorists on twigs: Telephone service was
The Square abandoned their cars . interupted as branches fell across
after becoming boggedZiwn , lines and there were intermittent
.„
Finacial advisors -.point ®� b
xes
v,vlearike4.anded, with°ut food
°r
Seven men on snowmobiles
o s. .of tax:- collection
, School, and reported one of the-
.? left Goderich with food •and
blankets for Holmesville Public
A worst rides of their lives. They
Goderich
. Goderich council held a
Special meeting' Tuesday evening'
to .enable mem,bers to hear from
representatives' of th.e,
De pastrnerit of Municipal
Affairs. • ,
* Dennis Date and Winston
'Easton, financial management -
advisors with the department
-advised council on its current
• tax position' Band made
recommendations for .changes
that will improve the tax system
• in .the town . and result in
• reduced costs. '
Mr. Date told council its'
present tax.Position' is "regarded
as very good but suggested the'
• present „system of installment
lading could -be improved Upon'
and, result in a better flow of tax
--money earlier hr the year. -He
explained a ,newer system of
interim tax billing approved by,
. ,
the province and suggested the
use of this method would enable -
council to cut down
borrowing during the early part
• of each year saving a'
employees at the town offices.
Mr; Date stated some, tax billings
'that now took' weeks, and in
..,some rural areas months; cord&
• be prepared in les.s. than two,.
days by computer.
' The representatives advised
council that no committees
should be ,allowed to have their
own bank accounts and all.. bills
• .should be paid through the town •
considerable sum on interest.
Mr: ,Date suggested council
also consider _having one
collection point for takes rather
• than at each bank' or trust.
company as it would Save Money
‘again and result irilesS confusion
• • in- the town administrative
offies. Mr. Easton suggested
council should not use a
et, discount system for people' who
pay' taxes on time, but rather
stay withonly a penalty. 'Meuse
for people ''who are late paying
The 'general ',coricensus was
that the evening was a Ivery
enlightening one that would
Jesuit in a benefit to the town.
• Maydr, Harry Worsen thanked
the men for attending and Mr.
Date informed 'council he and
„ his associate would be pleased to
attend, again closer -to • budget
time to again advise council
also took alongthe entire supply
of 'films from VictOria School so
that teachers stranded with' ° the
puj5ils at. Holmesville would be
able to keep the -youngsters
entertained. The seven men were
Dr' G. F Mills Paul. Carroll, Sam
'Argyle, Bruno' Lapaine, Harry
Little; Ken Fisher . and ''Ron
Young. The 'blankets were
donated by the Bedford Hotel
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People were billetted
throughOut the town after they
Were prevented from leaving and
some did not get home untit
• three days later. One woman
north of Goderich attempted to
waik, tr...9111-Waftrtnn_ Wigt • -...
Tiloze:to de -AFC A °Lonctellitiro-----
min - was rescued from a farm • •
and taken to 'Clinton HosPital by
oc
,pr•
, OPP and volunteers of the
highways , work. crews who
plowed a special road through
the storm.
Near Kingsbridge highways
crews were still attempting to
clear a drift Monday that'was 10
feet 'deep and 360 'feet long
across Highway 21. .The road '
was finally opened Tuesday 0 °
• g n .11 ng
have again caused probrenis ir
some areas and are expected, to"
Men of the Goderich Public •Utilities Commission were torced to work in' sub -zero weather
Wednesday and Thursday January 27 and 28 repairing a broken water main on Britannia Road
dose to. the "iiiterseCtioli with Hurons Road. Tiite main burst WednasdaV,morning when a Storm
sewer beneath it subsided after a soil collapse. A special angled section of pipe had to be inkalled
and 17furOn Road was covered with ice ridges almost a foot high from the water that ran -off. Ice
stiU caked the road on Wednesday ,of this week, Other w‘orkers:tivith•the utility were kept'busy
re irin lines removin fallen tree limbs and restoring service to homes -Staff photo
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nffice. _Date. suggested
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without this form of .control .
committees such as the S HI MT ME E TJ N G
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0 uncii.. a. revise 'stan- mg "rules .‘
recreation ,,ommittee could run • •
defieits which was not ,
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allowed by law. °- •
It was. pointed out the:
d o d erich . Recreation and
CommunitkTentre Board does
not hate its own bnk accounts
and all accOtmts- for -it -a -re paid
fot through the towp:.The
Goderich InduStrial Commission
'tovvever has- an account and
• pays bills' without approval of
copncil' •otherthan through" its
budget.
taxes. Both representative
woit4'1114WilitakiroWs.-91,1*-1411..---.743,14,if
Being discontinued irralmost all
municipalities.
As an added incentive to
getting the taxes paid °on time,
Mr. • Date suggested return
addressed envelopes be included
\ with the tax bills enabling the
taxpayer to make out a cheque
, and slip it into the envelope for
mailing with the usual month13$
,
bills, •
An' interim, tax 'Payment" dtie
* in MAY was suggested.
A 'Suggestion for considering
• computrized -tax billing,was
also Made • and was cited' as
another way the town could save
,money and also the time of its
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Mr, Date Said this had resulted
in a- legal question being raised
-concerning money that hadbeen
paid •from- the "-"'Obtlri6h-
Industrial dommission to , the
doderich Development
Corporation without any known
• benefit to the,„ town. ' Seven
Unman& dollars has been paid
by the eommission while waiting
for --a-charter for the local
development corporation. Mr.
Date said that the 'commission
has no power to spend money
that town council . could not.
Not
.aut orized. tmpurchasehOlhlg.
Cloderich' Town. Council Met
early fast T‘hursdaY °due. to th'e
recent storm and a deyeloping,
threat of more snow., Council
net_,t.. 1:00 p.m. for a short
meeting.
Councillor Ed. kliesbrecht
informed Council the town's
works crew had been kept very
busy at snow plowing and snow
removal starting work at 5 a.m.
eh dy. ‘
A. Special Committee of
-C6iiril has been formed
consisting of Reetie Paul Carroll,
Co_uncillor Ed. Glesbrecht and
.Councillor Ron. Price to revise
the present stan'ding • rules of.
council. The revised material will
be presented to council for
consideation.'
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railroad tracks behind- the
• Goderich elevator available as. a
roadway and• shuttle grain trucks_..
through that road and up Salt
Mine Road rather- than have
Them use Elgin Avenue. The
Councillor' reported one track
apparently was not, bang used.
He said Elgin Avenue residents
were cOncernedabout the use of
the averiue by grain trucks and
telt this would be one solution
to the problem. Town Engineer
Bums Ross has agreed to
Councillor Stan . Profit
reported on 'traffic lights at •
Victoria- ,and Nelson streets
which had been left With his
re .‘,•-•
Committee thePrevious week.
Councillor Profit ▪ had been asked
to find out if -it was po&Sible to '
rephase the light 15 secohds
later to avoid possible accidents.
The Councillor informed
Council he had met With Mr.
Denomme .of Goderich Electric
and discovered thaming the
lights might create .more
confusion as the lights all
worked -from the same control.'
Ron Price asked if the cams
could not, be- changerl- at- th.
control and Councillor *Profit
stated he would look into the
possibilities', again. Mayor Harr's,'
Worsell suggested the lights be
set at amber on Victoria and red
Nelsbn Street from 11 p.m.
Public speaking, contest -set
• • until early morning and this too
' . will be studied.
for Wednesday, - February, 10 Councillor Frank Walkom
reported on a meeting with the
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Clerk of the County regarding a
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On Wednesday, February 10, on March 22 for the Oritarid' , new agreement wanted by the
46• county for the use or—
at 2 p:mi the young 'orators of chmpionship.
Courthouse Park. The cotinty
the Huron County Elementary
Schools will meet. in' the Clinton These contets are under the Wants' a say in what, takes plae,
Public School Auditoriwn to joint sponstirship' of the Ontario there. The Councillor rported-7 ---
display. their 'Public- School s!Trustee$..,...county officials felt there was
Association and Ontario Hydro. too much noise from thepark at
Each of the contesting schools , .certain times and .wanted some
has 'chosen its best speaker for J. A. Gray, .prineipal, Clinton control over the times of
this event and the winner 6f this Public School, and -Mrs ,,, ic.tivitis JHe said the -matter
,v.„„togavaliosp42„1!,,,af.oliii,Lommt„tcy,,„,,„Sallaca-Arr....ukekantoirminemtenev;AGansmiltIA*:$1,aamtLivatelitatema.
in this manner. He suggeStd-
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council look into the -matter and
also into the matter of the
sepate-barik aCoun.
M. Date said all committees
should subinit budget estimates
for approval ofcouncil and once
approve, all bibs recommended.
for payment by those
committeeS, should -be checked
against budget. in this manner
-better 'control would biThad over
town spending -he said.
rpiestianed 'Mr.
Date about facets of the town
'accbuting and clarified a
number of items spoken about.
the Zone final in Glencoe on extend a cordial invitation u the future.
ascertain ownership,and do some
of the ground work oh' the
,project a,t,.. no Cost as he is
affectedby the tticks, being a
resident of Elgin Avenue,
Council asked for a survey to be
carried but.. •
Counillor , Ron Price,
Chairman of the. town's Property
Committee, told Council he was
surprised that local tradesmen
were taking, sO long to bring in
prices for work at MacKay Hall.
Councillor Price said he thought
they would be."knocking down
the door," to get work. as -ked
COuncil if prices for decorating
the hall could also be gathered
from out-of-town sources as one
-price from a local .paipter had
seemed extremely high. He
suggestdif, contactors were
avyare of' competition some
money mightbe saved. He noted
there' had .been an -increase' in
electrical lighting fixtures since_
prices were first 4obtained in
A.970. Two contractors names
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create problems for some -time ,
until the snow banks are. reduced
in size.
Record sub zero,teniperatures
accompanied the itorrn with a '
factor Wednesday reported_L,
Of STdegrees below zerb. •
were given by members of
Council for consideration, one is
an out-of-town contractor that
uses local labour.,
Councillor , Db. Shewfel,
Chairman of the Water, Light
and Pollutwri. Control
Committee reported a, small
probtem with icing at the sewage
treatment plant, but -it was
nothing too serious. With regird
to lighting, he asked if the town
should proceed to ,find out the
-costs of lighting replacement on
The Square and on -the f3a1l Park;
or did Council want to leave it
for another time.; Connell felt
the prices should be .obtained
now - and Mayor Worsell
commented the posts, on The
Sobers were rustingthrough arid
should be changed.
The ToWn Clerk has been
authOrized* to purchase any
materials needed far the
efficient running of the town's
,Continued ,on page 10
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February 21. public to attend and lend its Councilor • Walkom also
The Winners of all the Zone support to the young reported stiggestion had been
finals Will compete in Toronto contes&nts. made t9 make part of the
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Th• e Goderich Figure Skating C▪ lub stagd its first Skate-a-thon ever fast weekend the opening ceremony. 'Mayor W.ortell Went onto the ice with the skaters to get tie'
ended as part of the Goderich Winter Carnival which never took place. The ,-- thinroling and stayed for segen hourstotal funds raised by the event witriiiteed,
ate;ST6' rr7r-ttaiaRtitregarifarri5iiiHSgiertIrlifthriVEititiSti,i+AftOtteed-40"s1' rfrad VviTiliniirtrolViWiriffirilgitiikilrfASIOWEST0084001%
hours. Goderich Mayor Harry WOrsell started the affair off by cutting a ceremonial .24-hout-finishers will be presentecHuring Ice Nicks '71 whitivtakes Place FebtuarY
ribbon -accompanied by Mrs. William graven, president of the club, to the mayor's 19. Ttophies are donated by Manfried Dierholf. (Story and -More photos on -Page
left and Art Hoy the organizer at his right. Many of the young skaters gathered for 1A). -Staff Phiito
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