Clinton News Record, 1981-04-16, Page 1•
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Thanks to warm dry weather of the past two weeks, much of the
spring grain crop was sown in the area, and was in the ground
teady for the heavy rains that hit the area 011 Monday night.
Doug Stirling of Goderich Township was busy last Friday
sowing his 15 acres of mixed grain when the photographer
captured him on film. (James Fitzgerald photo)
Recreation budget
has surplus of 416,1
By Jim Fitzgerald
Due to a misunderstanding of . the
auditor's report by the press, the Clinton
recreation committee had a surplus last
year, not a .deficit as reported in last
week's paper.
Because of the regulations covering the
way books are entered, committee
secretary Marie Jefferson said an $11,000.
payment for insurance for this year's
coverage showed up in last year's books,
making it appear there was a deficit,, when
actually, the rec expenditures came in
$16,100 under budget.
Last year, Clinton taxpayers paid only
$77,500 towards the $180,167 recreation
program in town, compared to the $94,639
For 851,000•
projected by the volunteer rec board. In
1979, taxpayers paid out $89,820 out of the
$164,747 budget.
The rest of the rec committee expenses
were covered by rentals, program fees,
canteen profits and admissions, including
a $4,600 federal government grant which
together with enrollment fees, covered the
entire cost of last summer's recreation
and relaxation program. Township grants
covered another $1,500, including $500
from Tuckersmith and $1,000 from
Stanley.
The highly successful roller skating
program attracted $5,000 in admissions,
nearly completely paying for the $5,600
cost of the new roller skates purchased last
year and now used for rentals.
New fire truck bought
.. >' " `, "�" "' " "°" -• .`_'. ^ .."� r"h " 1 1401 ent. share of $5 600: Tacliersmith
Township's 7:85 per cent share will cost the
'municipality $3,971 and Stanley Township
will pay $1,451 or 2.87 per cent towards the
total purchase price. The municipalities
involved in the purchase may finance their
share of the cost over a two year period. •
Mr. Crawford also noted that the fire
board will be buying a used van, estimated
to cost $11,000. The van will be used' to
transport firemen.
He also noted that the new fire truck
would be available by .the end of the year,
and no decision has been made on the
future of the 1949 Chev truck. Mr.
Crawford noted that while the truck has
relatively.. low mileage, its pumping
mechanism has wom out. The truck can't
be sold to another fire department since
regulations prohibit the resale of any fire
equipment over 15 years of age.
By Shelley McPhee
The old '49 Chevie has served the Clinton
Fire Department well, but it's time for a
new truck.
The Clinton Fire Area board has agreed
to replace the old truck and will purchase a
new $50,590 pumper.
According to fire board secretary Bill .
Crawford, the board already has a reserve
fund of $24,000 and the the rest of the
purchase price will shared between the
five municipalities that the area serves.
Based on assessment, Clinton will be
paying the largest share of the cost with 57
per cent, and at their April 6 meeting
Clinton Council agreed to pay $23,600.
-Goderich 'Pownihip will be paying
$10,654.25 or 21.06 of the total cost and
Hullett Township Council recently agreed
to help finance the purchase with their
by
jim fitzgerald
Gee, finally all us working stiffs will
get a holiday this Friday, after a long,.
long, almost four month drought since
the last one on New Year's day.
According to the information we've
been able to gleam, this is the latest
Easter in a long time and April 19 is the
latest it can be. We've had a number of
people asking how Easter is deter-
mined and thanks to Helen Bartliff,
we've.finally found out. _
It's
It's like this: Easter Sunday falls on
the first Sunday after the first hill
m000n after the spring equinox. And
since the last full moon in March was on
the 20th, one day before the equinox, we
had to wait for the next Sunday on or
after the full moon, which is April 19,
which makes the preceeding Friday
Good Friday.
So as you can see, Easter just missed
being on March 23, and instead is on
April 19. Still confused? Don't worry so
am I! As for next year, Easter should
fall on Sunday April 11, using above
formula.
Anyway, what it all means is Friday,
everything will be closed, while the rest
of the weekend and the start of next
week will be thrown into a state of
confusion.
Let's start off with area businesses,
for instance. They along with the banks
and liquor store will treat Thursday like
a Friday and will be open until 6 pm in
the case of the banks, and until pm for
the others. All except , convenience
stores will be closed Friday.
Now, if you're lucky enough to work
for the government or the civil service,
you'll also get Monday off, which
means all the businesses and banks will
be open on Monday, but not the schools,
beer stores, or the post office. Everyone
will observe their normal Saturday
hours. And of course, all the churches
will be wide open for business on
Sunday.
Says the. Main Street Wit this week,
with the income tax deadline just
around the corner: "It's more blessed
to give than to receive - and it's
deductible too."
+ + +
Say, did you hear about the new
taxpayer who send the "Infernal
Revenue" department 25 cents with a
.note saying he understood be could .pay
his taxes by the qua rter.
+ + +
While on assignment on the weekend
to cover the opening of the roller
skating season here in town, I had a
chance to put on the old wheels again (it
was once one of my favorite pastimes
back in the old days of the London
Arena) and take a few turns with the
kids at the Clinton arena.
Things haven't changed one bit in 15
years since I was a young buck. The
music is still loud, dance skating is still
in, and it's still one of the best places to
pick up a girl, (although nowadays, the
girls are a lot more audacious and also
pick up the guys.) Nope, I didn't get a
nice young filly either. To them, I'm an
old geezer of their dad's generation
Roller skating is enjoying somewhat
of a renaissance in Canada,and the
place was packed. The Clinton arena
has 150 skates to rent out and on Friday
they wereall gone with a waiting list. In
fact, arena manager Clarence Neilans
said there was a long line-up outside the
arena an hour before the 7:30 pm
opening time.
I sure hope they have a adult skating
night for all us old ''geezers."
+ + +
With Klompen Feest coming up in a
month, the final crucial plans are being
made, so dont forget the meeting next
Tuesday night at 8 pm at the Town Hall.
Hearns out, Epps to expand
By Jim Fitzgerald
The shifting economic climate is af-
fecting most businesses and industries in
the country, and Clinton area firms are no
exception.
One .firm, Hearn Wholesale Ltd., a
wiolesile'outlet' for` pltiinTiieg"'and "e%
trical supplies, will be closing its doors at
the end of the month after 28 years of
business, but the space will be occupied by
Epps Manufacturing, a small manufac-
turing company which occupies the same
building.
Bill Hearn, president of the two com-
panies, said on Monday that the four
employees from the Hearn division will be
Jean Horton proved to be a real cut-up at the Minor Hockey banquet last Saunday, as she
wasoneof the hockey moms assigned to slice up the dessert. About 380 kids and parents
attended the wind-up function. (James Fitzgerald photo)
No more need for seniors
housing, Council told
By Shelley McPhee
A housing study has found that only
three to five additional senior housing
units are needed in the Clinton area.
Conducted by the ministry of housing,
the study shows that in Clinton and the
surrounding area, senior citizens have
ample housing, with only a maximum of
five more apartments or rental units
needed up until February, 1982.
The area is presently serviced with two
housung complexes in .Clinton and an
apartment building in Bayfield.
The report made no further recom-
mendations since only a small need was
determined. It was noted that 75 per cent
Of senior citizens living in their own homes
initially support housing surveys, but don't
want to leave their homes to live in senior
apartments.
In Huron County, senior citizens are free
to move into any rental housing units
available in the county, however it has
been found that most people don't want to
leave their own community. In Goderich, a
new housing complex, with more than 50
apartments, is now under construction and
Local thieves
get jail terms
In Goderich Provincial Court on April 10,
four men, involved in separate cases of
break-ins and thefts in the Clinton area
were sentenced to probation.
Kevin Paterson, 21, of Clinton was given
two years probation. He was charged with
two break and enters at the Radiant Life
store in Clinton on March 2 and March 19.
For the theft of a color television taken
from the Elm Haven Motor Hotel on
December 23, John Uuldricks, 21, of
Kitchener was sentenced to two years
probation.
Larry East, 21, of RR 4, Clinton and
Ronald Walker, 18, of RR 1, Brucefield
were each sentenced to one year probation
following a gas, theft from Murphy's Bus
Lines in Clinton and the theft of a CB radio.
in Wingham a similar housing survey has
found the need for an additional 20 to 25
units of rental housing there.
The accommodation, which used to. be
built and financed under the Ontario
Housing Corporation (OHC), is comprised
of a combination of market rental and
subsidized rental units. The ministry of
housing has determined that it is a good
arrangement to have a mix of low income
seniors with other who are able to pay the
full market rental prices.
However, -___accor-ding to __ Councillor
George Rumball, who also serves as
president Clinton Golden Radars senior
citizens club, "Many people won't live
beside someone else whose rent is sub-
sidized."
He noted that the greater number of
residents in seniors' accommodation have
subsidized rent and these units are filled,
but the other portion is not.
While the ministry of housing still
conducts the housing surveys, the
program of building seniors' housing,
under OHC, has been discontinued.
Instead, the ministy now recommends
that communities interested in building
more housing form a non-profit cor-
poration to complete the work. The
province does offer financial assistance
and grants for these programs.
WREN
Weather
1981
Hl i0
APRIL
7 15 - 3.5
8 20 6
9 17 4
10 18 1
11 17 10
12 13 2
13 11 2
Rain 12.2 mm
1980
Hl 10
18 3
17 8
13.5 6
8 1
5 1.5
9 1
3 -1
Rain 29.4 mm
absorbed by the Epps company, which
specializes in high pressure washers, and
valves and parts for drinking water
pumps.
"Construction has been slow in the area
for the past two years, and the Hearn
division was -just hanging `on "' Mr. Heani'
said.
Area plumbers and electricians will still
be able to buy their goods at several area
.suppliers, so they won't be left out in the
cold.
}
Don Stewart, vice-president of Epps,
said the company has experienced ex-
cellent growth in the last several years,
with high pressure washer sales really
taking off.
e "We now have a fuliti,tne R d� p_prpg _-„..._
(research and development) going'`dere•--...
and have hired an engineering
technologist," Mr. Stewart said.
Hearn Wholesale was started in 1953 by
the late Cliff Epps and Bill Hearn.
CAGE seeks more support
The Citizens Action Group for Education
(C.A.G.E.) is looking for more support and
new members.
At their. April 6 meeting in Clinton, the
recently formed organization agreed to
start a membership drive. A $2 mem-
bership application coupon can be cut out
of this edition of the Clinton News -Record.
Similar coupons are also available in the
current edition of the Central Huron
Secondary School student newspaper, The
Chronicle.
C.A.G.E. was formed earlier this year
and supported at a public meeting in
Clinton, attended by more than 60 parents
and concerned citizens. The county -wide
organization is attempting to improve the.
present education system, look to its
future needs, help solve the problems and
concerns that exist in the Huron County
education system, and open com-
munication channels between the board of
education, the teachers, the parents and
the general public.
Their work has already begun and at
Pool deck
to be fixed
By Jin Fitzgerald
The deck around Clinton's new swim-
ming pool is cracking and settling, but it
won't cost the town a cent to fix, the
Clinton recreation committee learned at
their meeting last week. "
The deck is covered by a guarantee by
the contractor, C.A. McDowell of Exeter,
and the town's engineer will be contacting
Mr. McDowell to have the deck fixed
before June. •
The rec board also decided to raise the
ice, rental rates for next year by 10 per
cent, with minor hockey and figure skating
paying $22 an hour, while in town residents
will pay $33 an hour, and out of town
residents will pay $36.
It will now cost more to rent the upstairs
hall: $85 cleaned up, and $110 if the arena
staff . cleans it. The arena floor will cost
$225 a day to rent or $175 if left in a clean
condition:
The rec committee also learned that
Steve Campbell has been hired again this
summer to supervise the pool and
playground areas, and some of the table
and chairs in the arena auditorium will be
refinished
their recent meeting, chairman Moira
Couper of Bayfield informed the group
that C.A.G.E. will receive anagenda gfthe
monthly board of education meetirlgsAi3.;
well,. . this month they will have
representation at the eaiecutive meeting of
the board. Three - CAG.E members at
tended the April meeting of thhbeard.
For C.A.G.E.'s financial.. ii"aeds, fund
raising chairman -Bill Schoonderwoerd of
Clinton reported that the organization
hopes to set up a booth at the . Clinton
Spring Fair. This will help to publicize
C.A.G.E., the $2 memberships will be sold`
and a raffle wilibe held to raise funds.
C.A.G.E. will meet againt the Wesley
Willis Church in Clinton on May 12, at 7:30•
pm. At this time another public meeting
will be planned.
For further information about C.A.G.E.,
contact Margaret Coventry at 482-3508 or
Mary Hearn at 482-3893..
Local police
seek arbitration
By Shelley McPhee
After four-mpetitigs,'no compromise has
been met and Clinton's four police con-
stithVigt4**090-10trigna'
dispute.
Clinton: Councillor Ron McKay; for the
negotiating committee, reported that they
had not been successful in reaching an
agreement with the police force. The
constables have decided to go to gover-
nment concilliation.
He suggested that the dispute would be
settled in the near future and the com-
mittee would continue their wage talks
with other town employees.
Clinton's police force is comprised of
four, first class constables who in 1980 had
a base salary of $20,450. Overtime, time-
and=a-half holiday pay and benefits are not
included -in this.figure. ..Police -Chief -.Lloyd
Westlake is considered management
personnel by the province and his salary
negotiatingsare not operi to arbitration.
Councillor Wayne Lester noted that legal
fees for arbitration talks could run the
town some $5,000. However Mayor Chester
Archibald noted, "It would cheaper to pay
(the constables) the money this year, bul.
we're talking about this year, next year
and the year 2,000."
How many cookies in a baker's dozen? Dawn McLeod seems to be asking a °.'llou,
classmate during a bake and book sale put on at Clinton Public School last peek. Most of
the goodies were sold out in 15 minutes. (James Fitzgerald photo.)
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