Clinton News-Record, 1981-08-06, Page 17vs
After 42 days of complete solitude, the Clinton post office, like
those around the country, was a beehive of activity again on
Tuesday as the 42 -day postal strike was finally over. Here Betty
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Weather
1981
HI LO
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24 10
25 16
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Rain 22 nun
1980
HI LO
28 11
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28.5 16
2A 18.5
27 17
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Rain 3.5
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and George Brown sell stamps to Al Galbraith and Karen
Goldsworthy. (James Fitzgerald photo)
Get bravery awards
Two men honored for fire rescue
By Shelley McPhee
John Howard and Paul Aldwinckle
aren't firemen. Yet they know the
challenge, the danger, the fear, and have
experienced the life or death situation that
firemen and rescuers can encounter.
If it wasn't for the unselfish efforts of
these two Clinton area young men Mrs.
Audrey Bissett could have died.
John Howard, 26, of Clinton and his
friend Paul Aldwinckle, 25, of RR 1, Varna
were presented : with- special Ontario
Provincial Police awards of bray ry on
August 5th.;lfor their prompt and
.courageous efforts in the saving the life of
the 58 -year-old Goderich Township woman
from her burning house. ^
That wintery January 31st night began
as any other Friday evening. John, Paul
and a third friend Les Howatt also of
Clinton were heading out for an evening in
Goderich, when passing by. a Goderich
Township subdivision, just east of
Goderich's town limits the trio saw what
they assumed to be burning garbage. As
they drove closer, flames illuminated the
dark sky and the three young men saw that
an entire side of a home, the Philmore and
Audrey Bissett residence, was ablaze.
Stopping just behind a car driven by Bert
Clifford of Stratford and Frank Yeo of
Clinton, the trio ran towards the burning
house.
"We went in the east side of the house
into a small porch and scrounged around
to find the door," John recalled.
Paul remembers hearing the moans of
someone inside the burning house, and
with the aid of John's cigarette lighter they
managed to find the door knob and open it.
"The room was completely engulfed in
smoke," John explained and said that they
went back outside to find a flashlight,
before re-entering the home.
Another rescuer Richard Hooper of
London had volunteered his help, and he
along with John and Paul returned to the
smoke filled house. Paul remembered, "I
never saw anything like it before. At trines
you couldn't see farther than six inches
ahead."
The smoke was thick, black and suf-
focating but they continued to shine the
flashlight around .the room until a pair of
feet were spotted along the floor. Paul and
Mr. Hooper crawled in and dragged the,
body to safety.
Although only semi-conscious and
suffering from smoke inhalation, they had
saved the life of Mrs. Audrey Bissett.
"At the time I wasn't afraid," John
remembered, "but afterwards when we
were sitting in our truck I said, 'Do you
know what we just did?' "
After the hour-long rescue John, Paul
and Les just wanted to leave the place, and
they did. Mr. Hooper was credited for
saving the life of Mrs. Bissett and later the
Goderich OPP. learned from Mr. Clifford
that two other young men also played a
major part in the live saving rescue.
Both Paul and John agreed that writing
out their statements for the OPP was a
great mental strain. Complete details and
accuracy were necessary and Paul said it
took four hours to complete his statement.
"I just kept writing out my story time
and time again until I. got it all right," Paul
sant.
"There were just so many things going
on at the fire that night, it was almost hard
to remember the exact details," John
added.
But saving the life of another human
being, and helplessly knowing that Mrs.
Bissett's husband died in that same
devestating blaze, is an experience that's
not easily forgotten. Both Paul and John
hope they "never encounter such a
traumatic situation again and John noted;
"I've never experienced anything like that
before and probably never will again."
"Knowing you saved somebody's life is a
feeling that's really hard to describe,°9
Paul thoughtfully said.
"I feel proud," John added, "but,it's not'
an outstanding feeling. I just did what
anyone else would .have done in that,
situation."
John and Paul have seen first hand, the
terrifying destruction and death that fire
can cause and while they greatly admire
the men that volunteer their time to
combat fires, neither feel that they could
be a fireman.
"I never knew what firemen were up
against. I don't have enough nerve or
determination to do that," Paul explained.
However in the eyes of the OPP, in the
eyes of the people who stood by and
helplessly watched the flames ravage the
house, in the eyes of their family, friends
and people throughout the area, there can
be little doubt that it took great nerve,
determination and courage on the part of
John Hoawrd and Paul Aldwinckle to save
the life of another.
116th year —No. 32 Wednesday, August 12, 1981
With a determined tight lip and a flick of the wrist, Jason Moxam lets the Frisbee fly
during a throwing competition that was part of a junior Olympics put on by the Clinton
summer recreation and relaxation program. Frisbee throwing was one of eight events.
(James Fitzgerald photo)
first
column
50 cents
Local shoe store is
selling out all soles
By Shelley McPhee
After 12 years of business Cleta Holland
and Elwin Merrill are putting up their feet
for a rest.
The Clinton owners of Holland Shoes, are
selling out their business to Ray and Mary
Wuerth of Exeter, but they aren't entirely
packing up and retiring. Under the new
owners who are scheduled to open their
doors on September 1st. Cleta and Elwin
Postal system
back to normal
after long strike
The Clinton post office, like most post
offices across Canada, resumed service on
Tuesday morning after a 42 -day strike by
inside workers had closed it since June 30.
Although there was some mail trapped
in the local office when the strike started,
assistant postmaster Ken Dobney said the
backlog was small and was cleared up
Tuesday.
He said that some intertown service also
resumed on Tuesday, but that full serive
would g adually return to normal by the
end of thweek. There is still an embargo
on mail'coming in from the U.S., but that is
expected to be lifted by Monday.
Gee, what with all the strikes,
harlkrupcties, record intertest rates,
and the falling dollar, it was getting
kind of depressing being in the news
business lately. Why, it was getting so
bad that even the pessimists didn't
have to look very hard to find
something rotten to say. About the only
optimists around were card carrying
members of the local fraternal
organization of the srnae name.
But even though things haven't im-
proved a heck of a lot, there is some
light at the end of the tunnel ( no it's not
an oncoming train ). The post office is
operating again, the baseball season
has finally resumed and of course, the
weather has been near perfect for
everybody from farmers to cottagers.
Although we could use another good
shower around here, we have been
lucky and missed those devastating hail
and rain storms to our south. One spot
in Kent County had six inches of rain
last Saturday. and that's on top of ten
inches they already received in July!
4 + +
And here at the News -Record, we're
^ertainly glad to be out of the post office
Asiness after five weeks of sorting
through those thousands of papers.
trying to match them to the ril h`
readers. Mind you, it was a nice way to
meet many of our subscribers, and it
was a good way to get some news tips,
but it was a little trying on our sanity.
Now, both Peggy and Mary Ann are
breathing easier, and they can finally
enjoy what little is left of the summer.
+ + .4 -
The
The whole crazy thing about this
postal strike for those of us who read a
lot is we'll never catch up. All those
empty days spend rereading the back of
the corn flakes box can never -be found
again and 1 guess I'll have to throw out
the great pile of magazines that will
soon arrive.
+ + +
The Main Street Wit says this week
that a statue should be erected to the
memory of someone who let well
enough a lone.
+ + +
And finally, this column will be
_missing next week, (but not likely
missed) as yours truly takes the third
and finally week of his vacation to do a
little work around the house.
q
will still stay on as clerks in the business
that they have managed for more than a
decade.
Cleta, who has clerked in more than
eight Clinton stores since she was 15 -years -
old, said she enjoyed owning' a business,
but felt that the responsibility involved
was just too much for her.
"It's a constantly changing business,
and now you have to buy a minimum of 24
pairs of shoes from the more expensive
dealers," Elwin explained.
Not prepared to handle that mhch stock,
Hollands purchased their footwear from
less expensive wholesalers, and reduced
their stock to ladies and children's shoes.
The Wuerths, who own a shoe store in
Exeter, will be carrying the full line of
footwear and will continue to carry the
make of purses that Hollands had. Mrs.
Wuerth buys for the shop and when pur-
chasing shoes she takes along one of her
clerks who as an average sample foot.
"Some shoes are just a poor fit, but this
eliminates some of the problem." Clete
explained.
Elwin added, "A shoe is a shoe, it has to
fit and can't be altered like a dress."
While shoes themselves can't be altered,
Clete and Elwin have found that a less
• constricting, tight fit can make things
more comfortable. And so they're tossing
in their heavy oxfords, and the respon-
sibilities of owning a business and are
slipping into a nice new pair of slippers,
and a less hectic life.
Howard: "I feel proud, but its not
outstanding, I just did what anyone else
would have done in that situation."
Aldwinckle: "I never- knew what
firemen were up against. I don't have
enough nerve or determination to do
that."
Paper to publish Wed.
beginning this week
Beginning with this issue, The Clinton
News -Record will be published on Wed-
nesday. instead of Thursday, making it
available to both stores and in -town postal
subscribers by Wednesday evening.
J. Howard Aiken, general manager of
the News -Record, said the move was made
to better service the readers and ad-
vertisers He said the move has been
contemplated for several years with all
departments gradually moving back their
deadlines over the past several months.
All five other papers in Huron County have
switched to a Wednesday publication date
in the past several years, with only the
Zurich Citizens -News publishing on
Thursday.
The paper. which has been published -)n
Thursday for the,last 116 years, found the
move necessary as many people are
shopping earlier in the week, and ad-
vertisers wanted to reach these customers
sooner.
fy
There's nothing like a free sample to keep a young lad quiet, and
a tasty muffin given out by a Legion lady hit the spot. Trevor
Plumsteel, 4, was just one of dozens of pedple who visited the
Clinton Legion flea market on tiaturday and took advantage at
the bargain items which had been donated by members r .Lames
Fitzgerald photo 1
Classified ad deadlines and news
correspondent deadlines have been set for
noon on Tuesday, with display ad deadline
set for 4 pm. However, to better ac-
commodate production, correspondents
and advertisers are asked to have their
copy in as soon as possible on Monday ,
afternoon.
Papers will be delivered to the Clinton
post office by 4 pm on Wednesday, and
should be available shortly after that.
Store sales will also be available at the
same time.
Hullett backs
Auburn rec
committee
At their August 4 meeting Hullett
Council agreed to establish a Community
Recreation Conualittee in Auburn.
The Auburn people plan: to put' in a
cement pad to be used for roller skating in
the summer and ice skating in the winter.
however they are required to have an
official Recreation Committee in order to
make them eligible to apply for grants
from the ministry of culture and
recreation tom'
in other business. tile dram loan ap-
plications were approved for Dave
Drummond. 113.500: Frank Szusz. 115.000
and Daryl Ball. 19.000 Council also ac-
cepted a drainage petition for part of i.ots
10.11.1' -' and 13. Concession 1.1 and part of
Lots 11 and 12. Concession 12 v, E Kell
and :1s,sociates have been assigned as
engineers and will be reporting to council
Building applii'ations cc ere approved to
A VanNlassenhoeven. hie ken h,o.ise
Sparhngs Propane. transport building. .1
Dickson. house adhtion. K E erhurg
implement shod. 11 t orta right. irn
plernent shed. H Van:\merstoore 1 o\ ered
manure tank. (l Addison.
i11i hole' bailie' 1
andcnelzer. scilrn1ntrlL p.,eI
Some land and building .cc .ger , n,
Mullett 1mcnship ‘N conr,
decided. of a irlunal 1p„i hclacc ;1,01 ,et.
retllatlons and nelultetl;e?tom
buildings and and ono til ns .r. re•pc, ; t
f ire and accident risk
Council 0ppro‘ epi ,i re , non' ; h�
Il iron Ploy, men's ''.'4 ;,0r 0 ,' . 1"
t 1.r0. an.i thev rejected
.1im Clark to open ,a ur t kn, _ c.+r,.
8. 'o'a: o" 0110 of 111111,11 r pct r.sh.r.
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