HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 1981-06-04, Page 1e you
116th year—No. 22. Thursday, June 4, 1981
IN CLINTON
FRIDAY, SATURDAY
SUNDAY
JUNE -
5,' 6 & 7
Clinton prepares for it. 1i?%Tth fair
By Shelley McPhee
If the weather participates, Clinton
could see another grand weekend of en-
tertainment and fun as the Central Huron
Agricultural Society plans to stage its
127th annual Spring Fair this Friday,
Saturday and Sunday, June 5,6 and 7.
Billed as the largest Class B spring fair
in Ontario, last year the weekend event
attracted over 9,000 people to the midway,
the livestock competitions, the ladies
exhibits, parade, grandstand show, queen
of the fair contest and the .ever -popular
baby show.
Special attractions lined up for this year
include Friday night's exhilerating
demolition derby which will be held in
front of the grandstand, and in the- arena
the queen of the fair contest will take place
when 11 local girls will vie for the title.
Saturday will feature a 1 pm parade
which will wind its way from the Clinton
Legion to the fair grounds and after the
official opening by the Queen of the
Furrow, the baby show .will take place.
The impressive heavy teams in harness,
the western games and evening horse
show will get underway at 7 pm in front of
the grandstand
A mini -tractor pull' will be held on
Sunday afternoon and the judging of the
beef cattle classes will wind up the three
day celebration.
And if that's not enough, the Clinton
Kinsmen will be holding a horseshoe
pitching tournament on Saturday af-
ternoon
fternoon and the Optimists will be testing
your strength with an arm wrestling
contest, also on Saturday afternoon.
For the younger generation, and the
young at heart the midway will be in full
swing and Old McDonald's farm will be
attracting its usual crowds.
The upstairs portion of the arena will be
filled with the finest baking, stitching,
drawing arid flower arranging in the area
as the ladies division judging takes place
and in nearby stables, the best livestock,
from pigeons to ponies, will be competing
for red ribbons.
Downstairs local merchants and ven-
dors will be showing their wares and crafts
from morning to night over the three days.
The judging cf the Ontario Spring Jersey
Show and the Huron County Holstein Show
both get underway on Friday at noon and
all day Saturday the light horses, poultry,
sheep, swine and cattle will be studied by
judges for the top prize winnings.
Whether it be a candy apple or a cherry
pie, a ferris wheel ride or a arm wrestling
match, a -peek at the babies or a look at the
big Belgian horses, the 127th version' of the
Clinton Spring Fair promises to offer
something for everyone!
The fair used to be held on the town's streets
The Clinton Fair started as a Fall Fair in
September 1854, and was held on the
Andrews farm. The Fair was started by
Messrs. H. Snell, Mr. Innes, J. McMillan
and Mr. Dale. The first Clinton Brass Band
played at this fair.
According to the Clinton Courier, 1862,
there was a showing , of horses, cattle,
oxen, sheep, pigs, agricultural ijn-
plements, garden vegetables, butter,
apples, hand woven cloth, knitting, em-
broidery, crocheting, quilts, ornamental
needlework, braiding, hand -sewn boots,
Paper w
on -the
assortment of Cooper's Work, pumps,
lumber, wagon, ploughs, harrows, straw
cutter, and fanning mill. All entries were
entered under the family name no ladies
names being mentioned.
At this time they regretted the shortage
of good cattle being shown, but they were
pleased at the large number of pigs and
sheen on exhibition. In the sheep section
the name of H. (Humphrey) Snell
appears as a winner, and the name of Snell
has been noted ever since as breeders of
fine sheep.
• By Steve Grossman
A concerned group of 20 Clinton
residents exercised their last public op-
portunity to make recommendations and
voice opinions regarding the town's future
development at the Clinton Planning
Board's summary workshop for the of-
ficial plan held last -Wednesday.
Much of the meeting involved a sum-
mary by George Penfold of the Huron
County Planning Department of the major
suggestions and contributions that had
been made at previous meetings. Two
areas of Clinton that were not discussed to
any great extent at the three previous
workshops included the extreme north end
of town and the Griffith's Pond area
behind the high school.
No comments were made regarding the
north end area, which was assumed by the
board to mean that those present were
happy with its designation as a holding
zone without intensive land use. Griffith's
Pond, much of which is owned by private
citizens, was felt to be better off if left
alone.
Several in attendance pointed out that it
is now serving adequately as part of
Clinton's storm sewer system, One
resident stated that this area should be
made part of the green belt if any future
development is desired here.
Another resident thought that the cost of
draining the pond would be too high and, as
a natural drainage basin for run-off, the
pond would never be totally eliminated.
Several of the people at the workshop
were there specifically in regard to a
dilapidated property at 45 Mary Street.
Turn to page 3 •
In 1905 the Fair was reorganized by
James Snell, J. Fair, Dr. J.W. Shaw, G. -
Hoare, and C.E. Dowding. The date was
changed from a Fall Fair to a Spring Fair
in the first week of April. The Show was
known as the Huron County Sale and Stock
Exhibition and was held on the main street
in the town.
In 1906 the president was James Snell --
who retained this office until 1913. The
Honorary President, in '06 was Mayor
Hoover, with George Dale as vice-
president. The directors . in 1906 were -
Thos. McMillan, John McFarlane, R.
Graham, John Johnston and James Fair.
In 1910 the treasurer James Fair
reported a bank balance of $168.82 in the
Molson's Bank. It was in this year that the
group asked the ministry of Agriculture to
increase their grant, as it had previously
been $75 and the government promised to
see to the expenses of Judges in connection
with the Fair. In 1911 the officers were
voted $5 each for their work in connection
with the Fair. A grant of $10 was made to
the secretary in 1912 for his services.
In 1913 Mr. A.J. McMurrayewas elected
treasurer to fill the vacancy of R. Graham
who retired In the next year Mr.
McMurray assumed the post of secretary,
a position he held for a total of 35 years in
all. Mr. A.J. Tyndall served . for a few
Turn to page 3 •
A big party, no, just a big bust. Over 27 cases offbeer have been collecting -in the,Clmton
Police station over the past four months.Slitce:-the g of the y4ar the Clinton •
Police have made 51 liquor seizures and on Tuesday Chief Lloyd Westlake ivas preparuig
the suds for its final destination - down the drain. (Shelley McPhee photo.)
By Shelley McPhee
Well Scoop, alias Jim Fitzgerald, is
off lazing in the sun for a week while his
poor junior staffer is leftin charge.
Hi, I'm back again for my yearly
round of First Column rumblings, and
like past years I'm still stating, "This is
the first and last time rn do this!"
So much for idle threats. I could put a
little "the writer is on vacation" blurb
under Fitz's photo here, but I'd be no
farther ahead. I'd still end up with a
front page hole to fill what do they
say, norestforthe wicked
+++
Rest what does that word mean?
There doesn't seem to be too much of
that happening in Clinton and this town
once chastised for its persistent apathy
has incredthly turned an about-face and
there doesn't seem to be any stopping
them now. Klompen Feest showed
obvious signs of exuberance and local
support in this town. Businesses along
the downtown streets have really gone
to town, painting and polishing up their
store fronts. Within the next two weeks
the Clinton Business improvement
Association (BIA) will begin their
grand scheme to enhance the core area
of Clinton, and this weekend Clinton's
grand daddy of special attractions
takes place. The 127th Annual Spring
Fair gets underway Friday night with a
thrilling demolition derby and con-
tinues through until Sunday with lots of
food, fun and festivities.
As in past years the fair will offer a
wide variety of events and attractions
to see and take part in. It's great en-
tertainment, and a good deal to boot.
There aren't many other events you
and the family can take in for less than
$10.
+ + +
While Fitz is off doing leisurely
things, the Main Street Wit is still out in
full force and he too is thinking about
money, or lack of such, this week.
According to the old Wit, "The check
you gel after all deductions have been
taken out is called `take-home' pay.
That's because there is no other place
you can afford to go with it."
a -4 -
Thanks Wit for your profound, and
humorous remarks, but let's get on with
this column!
+ + +
Well, the first Saturday in the month
is coming up and in Clinton and
Bayfield that means it's time to get
your old newspapers out to the curb.
The Londesboro Lions will be in Clinton
by 9 am on Saturday to pick up the
papers and in the beautiful, lakeside
village, the Bayfield lions will looking
for your paper donations in the morning
as well.
+ + +
Vanastra also deserves mention this
week and The Voice there has a new
correspondent Rhonda Bjerg. She is
replacing Jan Ferguson, and by the
looks of things Rhonda is not going to
have much trouble filling The Voice
page. In fact if she keeps up with all her
writing we may have to give Vanastra
its own special section. Welcome
aboard Rhonda!
+ + +
Now, was there anything else I was
supposed to say? I just can't drag Fitz
to the telephone again to ask him, so TM
"30" (that's journalism talk you know)
this column right now.
The boss will be back next week -
hurrah - and with any luck the junior
kid here will get a few days break to get
plans for this October marrying un-
derway!
The Clinton Early Childhood Education Centre got a big roost
this week when the Clinton Optimists donated their garage sale
proceeds of more than $300 to the centre. Optimist member Jack
Armstrong presented a cheque to centre president Jean Bhe
chain. The kids, left to right, Cathy Bircham, Brian Watson,
Billy Trick, Anjanette Carter, Laura McNichol, Stacey Fleet
and Cindy Ann Bircham. students at the centre got in for the
picture, but their thoughts were on their bus trip to MacDonald's
in Stratford. (Shelley McPhee photo) .
Homemaker course is back
By Shelley McPhee
After two months of persistent op-
position and concern, the Huron Town and
Country Homemakers training program
has been reinstated at Conestoga College's
Clinton Campus
The three-month education program,
sponsored by Canada Manpower across
the province, was dropped from com-
munity colleges earlier- in the year.
However an apparent need for more
homemakers, requests from homemaking
agencies throughout the province and
support from kcal members of parliament
has convinced the government to continue
the educationalprogram
"They had no realization of how im-
portant the course was," Huron's Town
and Country Homemakers executive
director Jean Young explained of the
federal Manpower department, the
community and social services ministry
acid the ministry of health.
In Huron, homemakers are specially
trained women and men who are working
for one the county's largest employers, the
Town and Country Homemakers. Started
three years ago to provide in-home ser-
vices for the ill, handicapped and elderly,
the agency now employs some 78
homemakers who provided personal care
and domestic help to 1,486 clients in the
past year. -
The need for homemakers is steadily on
the increase, and the service will now be
able to continue and expand with the
reinstatement of the training course. The
homemakers' training program has run at
Clinton's Conestoga College campus for
the past five years and according to Brian
Cook, chairman of the Clinton campus.
"the graduates are sought after."
Manpower had earlier decided to cut the
course after they faced financial cutbacks
in their finances from the federal gover-
nment. Manpower pays the tuition fees
and wages. for students taking the
homemakers' course.
The Town and Country. Homemakers
expect their need for more trained
Tarn to page 3 •
Youth in critical condition
A Clinton youth who was struck by a
motorcycle late Tuesday afternoon is in
critical condition in London's University
Hospital.
Clinton police said the boy, Jeremy
Black, 7, of James St., was in serious
condition according to their information,
but the hospital confirmed that his con -
clition has worsened to the critical stage.
Young Black was struck at 4:10 p -m.
when he ran before a 1980 Kawasaki,
owned and operated by Conrad Wayne
Kuiper, 17, of RR 2, Clinton. The accident
occurred in the East and High Streets
area.
Clinton police said no charges were laid.
loses job
Kathy Honking, village clerk -treasurer
in Bayfield has lost her job, following a
Monday night decision by the Bayfield
Council.
After a closed session meeting, the
council decided to fire Miss Hunking and in
a press release to the News -Record they
stated, "The Bayfield Council was
required at their June meeting to review
probationary employees of the village. It
was decided that in the best interests of the
village of Bayfield, Miss Hunking's ser-
vices as clerk -treasurer should be ter-
minated, and her salary be continued to
June 15th."
Miss Hunking who was hired in January
was working under a six-month probation
period and Bayfield Reeve George Fellows
Turn topage 3 •
Rock concert
may be first
and last
for Clinton
By Shelley McPhee
Despite rumors of an estimated $6,000 to
$7,000 loss, Clinton's first, and perhaps
last, rock concert ended up with a net loss
of $3,165.
Scheduled to raise money for the Clinton
Hospital Building Fund, the Friday night
show was a completel failure with only 150
tickets sold out of the possible 2,000.
Held at the Clinton arena, the concert
featured the Lecia Price Band, Telemann
and Zonn, in a five-hour show. The original
cost of hiring the three Toronto based
bands was $6,000, but the final price oat
dropped to $4,200.
Fund raising committee chairman Stine
Cooke admitted. "I don't know whi ;t
failed- There are several individual
reasons which may be the reason why. ••
Mr. Cooke noted that for the five-hour
show, complete with three bands. the 110
admission price wasn't high. He also said
that it had been rumored around Central
Huron Secondary School r CMS) that the
concert had been cancelled. Rumors h d
also being circulating that 25 RCMPs a d
20 OPP officers would be at the concert
"Some said the groups weren't good
enough,but we couldn't pay $10.0(10 for a
band,- Mr. Cooke explained.
"Everyone was disappointed and are
still numb from the shock of it." he said.
but noted that the committee w i 11 be
meeting again on June 10 and will examine
ways to recoup the losses.
"Donations past or future will not be
used to offset this loss." Mr. Cooke pointed
nut.