Clinton News-Record, 1985-6-12, Page 1D -THE BAY HELD BUGLE
120TH YEAH No. 24
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1985
50 CENTS
An educational test and a test of skills was held at the Clinton Arena in the form of a mock
disaster. Fire fighters, ambulance attendants, police and Clinton Public Hospital (CPH)
staff went through the actual motions of a caye in at the arena on June 5. The victims con-
sisted of 40 CHSS students. Above, Dr. Brian Baker and a nurse from CPH attend to a vic-
tim with chest injuries. At left, Sergeant Wayne McFadden escorts a victim with minor
injuries out of the smoke filled arena. (Shelley McPhee photos )
Set for disaster
CLINTON - Disaster. It can happen
anytime, without warning.
The recent tornadoes that ripped through
the Barrie and Grand Valley areas
demonstrated how quickly disaster can oc-
cur and how devastating it can be.
In the event that disaster occurs in this
area, Clinton Public Hospital i CPH is
prepardd.•
On June 5, CPH staged its first ever mock
disaster. The event was held both as a test
and as a learning experience for hospital
staff, ambulance attendants, local police
and fire fighters.
The scene was the Clinton Community
Park. The disaster was a fire and cave-in at
the arena, involving 40 victims.
The victims' roles were realistically
played by drama arts students at Central
Huron Secondary School. The simulated
casualties ranged from minor injuries to
fatalities, portrayed with realistic looking
wounds and vivid acting skills.
The alarm was sounded shortly before 1
p.m. and the Clinton Fire Department were
the first on the scene. Under the direction of
Chief°Fred Lobb the firemen raced to douse
"the simulated fire and undertake the gruell-
ing task of removing the victims from the
wreckage.
Ambulances from Seaforth, Goderich,
Wingham and Exeter were called to the
scene.
Ambulance •attendants, volunteers, police
and firefighters concentrated their efforts
Hullett taxes up 2.74%,
expenditures are up 14.26%
on rescuing the victims, giving treatment
and arranging transport to CPH. Dr. Brian
Baker and CPH emergency head nurse
.Joyce Doig treated dozens of victims at the
scene of the disaster.
CPH was operating at full emergency
alert. All available staff were on duty in the
crowded emergemy wing. Doctors and
rrur,es treated the victims in casualty areas
set up in the physiotherapy department and
the cafeteria: Dietary, housekeeping and
maintenance workers took on extra work as'
porters and messengers.
The aim of the mock disaster was to be as
realistic as possible and at the hospital this
meant that treatment went as far. as admit-
ting victims, taking them to surgery or the
morgue, or readying them for transfer to
other hospitals.
It was the element of realism that im-
pressed observers. The observers, from the
Ministry of Health, commented on the
realistic portrayal by the victims and the
degree of realism given by CPH.
The observers quietly stood on the
sidelines, taking notes and analyzing the -
event. Meetings and discussions will be held
in upcoming weeks at CPH to talk about the
disaster. •
Initial , reactions are positive. CPH ad-
ministrator Dan Steyn said he was pleased
with the disaster work at the hospital.
Organizer, CPH nurse Cheryl Hohner
reported that overall the disaster went ac-
cording to plan.
Hullett Township ratepayers were
Njustifiably irate at a report in the Clinton
ews -Record which stated that township
taxes had increased by 14.26 per cent.
Fortunately for municipal taxpayers
(though not for councillors and township
employees who had to deal with the many
telephone calls of concern), the News -
Record report was incorrect.
In fact, township taxes have risen only
2.74 per cent, as a result of county and
educational demands. The 14.26 increase
was in township expenditures - not taxes.
Clerk Harry Lear also noted that while
Ministry of Transportation and Com-
munications (MTC) grants will likely
reduce the cost of the grader the municipali-
ty is planning to purchase, estimates Hullett
Township has received places the grader's
price at approximately $140,000.
The new budget means public school sup-
porters would pay $856.68 based on a $4,000
assessment, an increase of $22.84 from last
year's $833.84. A separate school supporter
is facing a rate increase of $27.84 from
$847.44 in 1984 to $875.28 this year.
This year the municipality expects to
spend $667,615, compared to $527,282 in 1984.
But as a result of grants and miscellaneous
revenues, the township needs to raise
$201,402, an increase of only $1,185 over last
year's $200,217.
The News -Record regrets any inconve-
nience this error may have caused.
No free ride for peddlars
CLINTON - Bill Taylor's angry. He wants
updating and enforcement of Clinton's Ped-
dlars and Hawkers Bylaw.
Mr. Taylor, Owner of Willy's Burgers and
Bill Dallas, owner of Blackbeard',s
Restaurant in Tuckersmith Township met
recently with Clinton Council to protest the
lack of enforcement of the town bylaw which
regulates the business of peddlars in the
municipality. Their complaint focussed on a
coffee truck from London that makes daily
stops in Clinton and Vanastra. The unit had
been operating in Clinton without a licence.
Tuckersmith Township doesn't have a
peddlars bylaw, but Mr. Dallas will present
his concerns to council there.
Mr. Taylor told Clinton Council that he
had the support of other established
restauranteurs in town in protest of the cof-
fee truck's operation. Concerns centre on
the fact that the business is allowed to
operate without a licence, and in view of the
taxes paid by extablished businesses in
town, the $100 licence fee set out in the
bylaw is too low.
"I don't think this is fair to me and other
restaurant owners agree," Mr. Taylor said.
"I employ as many as 10 people. 'I pay
business and property tax and this coffee
truck only has to pay $100."
Mr. Taylor told council that the coffee
truck has been operating at the race track in
Clinton. He noted, "That's unfair if the pro-
ceeds to the concession stands and arena
canteen are expected to go back to parks
and recreation."
Mayor Chestor Arrhihnlrl cairl hr.
understood and supported Mr. Taylor's con-
cerns. Business complaints involving the
same type of concerns were presented to
council last year regarding "home parties"
and the selling of wicker, clothing, brass
and other items through private sales in the
home.
The mayor stressed that council needed to
revise and update the peddlers and hawkers
bylaw, and the. law must be enforced to pro-
tect local business interests.
A week ago, the coffee truck, owned by
London Mobile Lunch, was ordered to pur-
chase the $100 permit to operate legally in
Clinton.,The licence was purchased, but Mr.
Taylor emphasized to council that the fee
set out in the 20 year old bylaw was too low.
Councillor Jim Hunter agreed. He noted,
"The $100 fee is fine for local people selling
door-to-door, but larger, out-of-town firms
should pay more."
Council agreed that the Clinton bylaw
needed revision. They took direction from
the Seaforth peddlers and hawkers bylaw
which sets the licencing fee at $100 a year
for people living in the municipality and $300
a year for out-of-town businesses.
Councillors Hunter and Ross Carter sug-
gested a $500 fee for Clinton, with the reduc-
ed $100 rate for local businesses. Councillor
Gord Gerrits said he was concerned that set-
ting the rate too high, -could drive away
businesses that benefit the town."
A complete revision of Clinton's Peddlars
and Hawkers bylaw will be presented at
council's June 17 meeting.
Spill causes closure
CLINTON - A spill of anhydrous ammonia Hospital but stopped to phone for help:
caused a portion of Highway 8 to be closed Fire fighters from the Clinton Fire
for two hours during the morning of June 8. Department, assisted by the Seaforth
The tank carrying the liquid fell off a , Department, hosed down the portion of the
trailer pulled by an Ausable-Bayfield Con- highway where the anhydrous ammonia had
servation truck driven by Robert Traut of been spilled. According to Clinton fire
RR 1, St. Marys. Mr. Traut was only a short fighter Steve Cooke, the spray on .top of the
distance. from the Cyanamid. of Canada anhydrbus ammonia absorbed the liquid.
Plant where he had picked up the tank. The firetrucks on the highway forced traf-
Ricb Taylor, the first person on the scene, fic to stop frons On a m. until :approximately
• was on his way to the Clinton Public 12 p.m. .
Jack Carter, with two other members of the Clinton Fire Depart- checks on the well being of an injured student. (Anne Narejko
ment, prepare to carry out a CHSS student acting as a victim dur-
ing the mock disaster. At left, a St. John Ambulance attendant
Keeping Clinton een
CLINTON - Tree replacement in Clinton is
being closely matched by the rate of
removal.
Public Works foreman Harold Gibbings
reports that in the past 10 years, some 300
old diseased and dead trees have been cut
down and.at least 250 have been replaced.
Complaints that Clinton's tree replace-
ment program hasn't kept pace with tree
removal are unfounded Mr. Gibbings said.
He noted that some areas of town may ap-
pear that they could accommodate more
trees, but underground gas and hydro lines
make planting difficult. .
"It wouldn't be fair to the utilities or the
tree," Mr. Gibbings noted.
Last year Clinton Council was criticized
for their decision to cut down a row of white
pine trees on East Street. The trees, located
on town property, were removed on•the con-
dition that replacement trees would be
planted on request by abutting property
owners.
Mr. Gibbings said that only two requests
for trees had been made and these have
been planted. He said that some property
owners are considering putting in their own
money to buy larger trees for replanting.
Mayor Chester Archibald has asked that
the East Street planting program be com-
pleted by autumn
Libra.ry landscaping
Landscaping at Clinton's Library Park
may be financed by a trust fund that's more
than 85 years old.
The Stavely Trust Fund was established
around the turn of the century. Two -
thousand dollars in cash and $3,000 in three
per cent perpetual bonds were banked.
Records stipulating the use of • the money
have long since disappeared.
Councillor BeeCooke has suggested that
the money be used to finance a heritage
landscaping project at Library Park.
Council has agreed and Mayor Archibald
stressed, "The sooner the money is spent on
something worthwhile the better. In 1915,
$5,000 was a great deal of money. Today it's
worth much less."
It's estimated that only $1,000 will be
realized when the $3,000 bonds are cashed
in.
If no • specific terms to the trust are
located, the bonds can he cashed and used
without stipulation. if terms do still apply,
these may be changed by applying to the
courts. Council understands that this could
be done without difficulty because "of the
Small amount of money involved. •
Want special consideration
BY STEPHANIE LEVESQUE Sion.
The Huron County board of education has I'he chairman said the school hoard has to
to, make special provision for Catholic give serious consideration to offering
students within three years or there could be Catholic education credits in its five secon-
a sixth high school in Huron, said board dary schools.
chairman Eugene Frayne at the June 3 ses- The Huron -Perth separate school board
sion. has stated firmly that `there will be no
Frayne strayed from earlier statements Catholic high school in Huron until at least
that, as the representative of the Catholic 1988. The separate school board also intends
secondary school supporters in the north to pursue the idea of Catholic education
part of the county, he wouldn't make com- credits.
ments on the issue of full -funding for Speaking as a Catholic in Huron County,
Catholic high schools. Frayne said the people he represents "do
The chairman, prefacing his remarks not want to disrupt the Huron County
with the note that they were not meant to board".
condemn the public school system, ,asked The chairman said his supporters have
why no one has questioned why there are strong ties in their corrununities and with
separate schools. their neighbors and they don't want disrup-
• tion or diversification in the community.
"If they (the public schools) are doing "But they do want special consideration,"
such a good job, why is there such a pro- he added, "The board has to take at look a
bion?" asked Frayne. resolving the problem, if we don't, we've on -
His comments followed his attendance at ly got three years."
two public school trustees' conferences
where the Catholic school funding question The chairman of the board's liaison com-
dominated the agenda. Frayne said the mittee, John .Jewitt, applauded Frayne's
speakers at these conferences tended to pat words. He reported that at the last meeting
themselves on the back saying what a good with the separate school board, a tour of
job the public schools are doing. Central Huron Secondary School was held.
He praised his own board's liaison com- The separate school hoard's planning com-
mittee that has met regularly with mhttee had earlier suggested that a part of
members of the Huron -Perth Roman Central Huron be used as a Catholic high
Catholic separate school board. school. .
"I think this committee did an excellent Jewitt said if any other decisions are
made in the future, referring to the separate
job," commented Mr. Frayne adding that,
the committee came to an amicable conclu- 'Fern to page 2