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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1981-10-21, Page 1ti 116th year—No. 42 Wednesday, October 21, 1981 50 cents In ,rn..d-November Town to havehouse blitz Oblivious to a sailing craft returning from what could prove to be the last good sailing day of the year, a fisherman loaded his hook on the Bayfield pier last Saturday. Gale force winds on For whole county • Sunday reminded all of that the Novemeber gales sometimes come early. (James Fitzgerald photo) Council backs disabled service By Shelley McPhee Should the need be established, Clinton may offer its assistance in financially backing a transportation, service for the disabled. At their October 19th meeting, Clinton Council learned that a special committee is looking into the need and feasibility of setting up a bus service for the disabled in the area. To serve the towns of Clinton and Seaforth, Hullett, Tuckersrnith and McKillop Townships, the service couldbe financed through government grants backing from the municipalities involved. Committee member Councillor Rosemary Armstrong said that the provincial government will pay 50 per cent of the intial costs of setting up the service and the five municipalities involved would. pay theremaining portion. Although the fee structure hasn't been established, she suggested that each municipality would pay on a per capita basis. ' Councillor Armstrong said that the Nurses given 19% interims"pay hike Registered nurses at Clinton Public Hospital have be given an interim raise of 19 per cent over a two year period, the board of governors decided last Monday night. The raise is retroactive back to last October, 1980, when the nurses' .contract expired. They have worked without a raise for two years. The Clinton RNs, supervisors and head nurses, who are members of the Ontario Nurses Association, have been negotiating on a province -wide basis, and are awaiting release of an arbitration report. They are notallowed to go on strike. • committee has met with the ministry of transportation and communications and they have shown interest in the draft proposal of the service and are waiting for each muncipality for apply for funds. She explained to Clinton Council that the committee must esta blish a definite need for the service and a survey will be con- ducted. Councillor Armstrong noted that there are approximately 150 disabled people • in the county and many of these .• could make use of the service. • The bus service would be limited to people who are unable to use other forms of transportation, such as a car, because of their physical limitation. ,A bus, ac- commodating 'nine wheel chairs, and capable of seating an additional eight people would be used and would include a special lift for wheelchairs. Those using the service would be issued special cards and the bus would be run several days a week to various spots in the area, particularly the ' Vanastra, Recreation Centre, where special facilities are available for use by handicapped people. Alf Dale of Seaforth is one person who would use such a service and is working on. the committee in support of it. Paralyzed from the neck down and confined to a wheelchair, Mr. Dale would like to be able to use •the pool facilities at Vanastra, but according to Mrs. Armstrong, it difficult for him to travel, the eight -mile distance to the centre by car. With a lift -bus service, Mr. Dale could easily and comfortably travel in the area . More than 40 muncipalities across Ontario offer such services, including Stratford and London. However, Huron's proposal differs because it is the first to offer a disabled transportation service in a rural area. "There are no rural projects un- derway," Councillor Armstrong ex- plained, "So it's more difficult working out the details of the service." Several bus companies have shown, interest in operating the service in the area, and Clinton Council agreed that if the need for the program . is , evident, they ` would consider backing the project for hospital building fund. As the hospital building fund edges closer to the $100,000 mark, volunteers on the fund raising committee are planning a massive door to door blitz of Clinton and the surrounding area in mid November. Vie blitz will get underway about November 12, and should be finished by November 25, with every home called on by a volunteer. A full page ad in this week's paper explains the background for the addition to the emergency facilities. The hospital board has been told by the ministry of health that they must have at least $170,000 in cheques or pledges before the f irst shovel of dirt can be moved. A total of $353,000 has to be raised by public donations, with the rest ,of the $866,000 cost of the addition being funded by a $303,000 ministry of health grant, a $110,000 county council grant, and $100,000 from the hospital's reserve fund. The fund is getting closer to the mark with a $20,000 pledge from two service. clubs in town. Both the Kinsmen and Kinette Clubs each pledged $10,000 this Finally, we can all settle down and go back to doing things more in the Canadian way, as the Montreal Expos were defeated by the Dodgers and won't be going to what would have been the first true "World Series" in 96 years. Oh well, as one local cynic put it: "Our 25 Americans got beat by their 25 Americans." Anyway, with that snowfall on Monday, and more promised for later this week, it does seem silly to be playing baseball in late October in Canada. This is hockey and football country, and we should get back to laughing at the Argos and the Leafs. + + + If you're like me, you're probably wondering where the heck our fall went. After waxing eloquent last week on how wonderful the autums are around here, Mother Nature gives us only two days and then blows the leaves into the next county with a gale. I'm sure glad I'mnot farthing this year. But things did clear up enough last week and Jack Van Egmond baled hay on Wednesday at his place just north of town. His wife reported the quality and quantity was excellent because of the wet fall. And there'll be no after dinner visits to the garden anymore after Saturday night, as we turn the clocks back one hour and abandon daylight saving time until next April. Now if the medical profession would only im'ent a way to turn the internal, clocks back on Screamer, Terror and Hellion, so they won't get up until 6:30 am instead of 5:30 when we turn the clocks back, I'd be willing to bet they'd become millionaries overnight. The Main Street Wit says it's easy for parents to get revenge: "Just live long enough to be a problem to your children." + + + In the past it wasn't often the mer- chants of this town could get together and agree on anything for more than five minutes, but the co-operation last week on decorating the town and the stores in the harvest theme was out- standing. We had several strangers passing through town give high praise for the outstanding job that was done. + + + Our brand new copy of the 190th edition of The Old Farmer's Almanac arrived on our desk yesterday and the thing is crammed with everything from astronomical charts to ads for snake rings and Pink Love room spray which is "A delightful heavenly odor to make your home smell attractive to men." And of course, there's•the weather predictions for all of North America and even Canada this time. What's in store for us? Well, ac- cording to the soothsayers who write the book, Ontario should "have a colder than average late fall and winter, by about one degree C, and be slightly drier than usual except for areas in- fluenced by the Great hkes (that's us baby) , which may get as much as 75mm excess precipitation. "A warm spell early in November will be balanced by a cold wave at the end of the month in the east...The east will be dry except for rain the third •week... December will be 1.5 to 2 degrees C above average in the south and east and about 3 degrees above average in the west. Frequent light snowfalls throughout the month and a heavy storm and cold wave at the end will bring snowfalls totals to above; normal in most sections." "Several cold spells in January will offset a mild spell at mid -month to bring mean temperatures to 1 degree C below normal.... There will be frequent snowfalls, but precipitation totals will be below normal." says The Almanac. We'll bring you more details on the rest of their winter and spring predicitions at a later date, and would hasten to add, that last year, as pointed out in an earlier column, that they were wrong on last ye.ar's weather. The Clinton Hospital Building fund became $20,000 richer last week when the Kinsmen and Kinette Clubs each gave $10,000 pledges at the Kinette Fashion Show. Kinette president Betty Dalzell, left, presented one pledge to fund raising chairman Steve Cooke, while Kinsmen president Dave Dalzell made another presentation to board of governors member Dawna Westlake. (James Fitzgerald photo) Town to get tulip beds Red and yellow tulip bulbs will _ be bursting forth in a welcome show of color in Clinton next spring for the Klompen Feest celebration. Margaret Sloman, co -president of the Clinton Horticultural Society informed council that the society will plant beds at the north and south entrances to town, welcoming visitors with tulips in the spring, and red geraniums later in the year. In full support of Miss Sloman's suggestion, Clinton Council has agreed tc purchase more bulbs if necessary, and develop flower beds at the east and west limits of town under the Welcome to week at a fashion show held by the Kinettes. A further $1,245 was raised by the hospital draw held last Saturday night at their harvest hoedown dance. All the meat prizes were donated by area farmers. Murray Taylor of Clinton won the half side of beef, while Mrs. Ester Wright of Bayfield won the side of pork, and Anthony Denomme of Zurich won the whole lamb. Other individual and business donations came from Joe Mayman, Jack A. Poun- der, The Bayfield Country Store, George Clark, Jessie Blair, Donald Lance, Wayne and Harold Smith Construction, Mr, and Mrs. Ross Merrill, Mrs. Polly Wiltse, Mrs. Rosemarie R. Cooke. Donations were also received from Snarling Propane Ltd., Lawrence Denomme, Barbara J.L. Plumb, Mrs. Nellie Matthews, Mr. A.J. Matthews, Steve Argyle, John Lindsay, Elva Metcalf, Alfred F. McLaughlin, and . Harberer Concrete Products Ltd All donations will be published in the News -Record over the next' few months. Separate school trustees upset over course'+chan,es By Stephanie Levesque Trustees of the Huron -Perth Separate School Board were upset that its in- termediate English curriculum was torn apart by an English provincial review committee. The review, compiled by two Ministry of Education officials, was presented to the board at its meeting on October 13. , Trustee Jeanette Eybergen said trustees. spend time in committee developing a cur- riculum, then the Ministry comes and tears it apart. She asked why guidelines were set first? Director of Education William Eckert said, "The boards were left to their own demise." He told the trustees, "Don't take exception to the criticism", but to look at the objectives. Mr. Eckert said the criticism is valid and that overall across the province; the Huron -Perth Separate School curriculum is "looking very good". Trustee William Kinnahan suggested the two ministry officials who compiled the report, be present at a board meeting to discuss_the.+report. This was. agreed-to'by the board and an invitation will be extend- ed. The report was compiled by having questionnaires filled out by teachers and students of grades seven and eight at seven schools across the two counties. One recommendation, that teachers de- emphasize spelling, punctuation and kinds of sentences didn't sit well with Trustee Ronald Marcy. He said he thought the tendency was to get back to the basics. Evaluation of students' work was also recommended to be changed, as the recommendations point out that words such as excellent, average and weak are not easily defined. The Ministry recommendations em- phasized the use of practising what the students have learned by using it in- other subject areas, spelling, reading and writing skills were particularly noted. The use of writing journals, a collection of written works by the students, was praised by the Ministry officials. It was reported that over half the teachers use the journals in their classes:' In other business, the board Approved collecting taxes from the municipalities supporting the Separate School system fourtimes a year4.n March 31, June 30, September 10, andlDecember 15. Chairman of the board Ronald Murray said one of the ,reasons f©y, this change from two collections annually to fb'' i'r, was because both the Perth and. uronBoe ds of Education had made the change. Council warns: d oo lers beware Don't burn the. chairs, don't doodle end. don't .poke your pen through the table top when • you're using the Clinton town, Gall councilchambers. That was • the warning from •Clinton of their executive table, and eight plush chairs revealed some damage. The table and arm -chairs are used by council and are available to other people who hold meetings at the town hall. However the expensive set, purchased three years ago, is starting to show the results of absent minded doodling and carelessness, according tocouncil. "People are making the marks without thinking," Mayor Chester Archibald reasoned, "but they should be more careful." Non-smoker Councillor _Ron McKay_ spotted a cigarette burn hole in the arm of the chair he uses. He suggested that an anti-smoking bylaw in the chamber should be in effect. He noted that while smoking doesn't offend him, burn holes do. While meetings, serious discussions or evenings of entertainment can be mind - consuming, remember to mind your burning, poking and doodling in Clinton's council chambers! Clinton signs. Council may be purchasing some of their bulbs from the Town and Country Homemakers, who are asked for council's support in their fund raising project. Selling tulip; crocus and daffodil bulbs, Councillor Bea Cooke noted that by sup- porting the Homemakers canvass, "The town would be helping another organization." Spring in Clinton will also see the planting of many young new trees. Council is planning to purchase 100 Schwetler Maple trees to plant around town. The fast growing, hardy trees begin the season with colorful red leaves that gradually turn green in late summer. On Housing Authority Ginn named to post Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Claude Bennett announced this week that Gerry Ginn of Goderich Township has been appointed to the Huron County Housing Authority. Ginn has been extensively involved in local politics serving on the Goderich Township council for many years , in- cluding several terms as reeve. He is also a former warden of Huron County. The appointment announcement by Bennett will place Ginn on the seven- membe r au thority whichmanages Ontario Housing Corporation's 415 assisted housing units in Huron County. Commenting on the appointment, OHC chairman Allan Moses, noted that the day- to-day management of all of OHC's 93,000 housing units is carried out by local • housing authorities, although the primary responsibility for assisted housing remains with OHC. The Huron County Housing Authority manages 331 senior citizen assisted housing units and 84 units for low-income fami" The authority also provides housh., for physically -disabled and mentally retarded persons who are capable of living on their own. Weather 1981 1980 HI LO HI LO OCTOBER 13 16 0 14 17 4 15 14 7 16 11 3 17 14 --2 18 13 3 19 .5 0 Rain 44 mm 5 1 7 -1 8 2 11.5 4 18 10 16 7 10 4 R..ain 16.4 min a s Hal Hartley bargains with Darlene Morgan at a fruit and vegetable stand set up in the new Isaac Street park during Harvest Days celebrations last week. Darlene was man- ning the booth for Ray and Shirt's Grocery. ( James Fitzgerald photf l