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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1987-10-21, Page 1INCORPORATING -THE KLlTH STV's HD.THF: BA) HELD NO, 42 WEDNESDAY„ OCTOBER 21, 1987 KEEPING THE FiRE FROM SPREADING The smoke was thick as the flames destroyed the old arena in Vanastra on Oc- tober 14. There wasn't much the Clinton and Brucefield Fire Departments could do to put the fire out, so instead, they made certain it didn't spread. Above is a side view of the fire, while at left is a front view. ( Anne Chisholm photos ) Old arena and contents burn Brucefield Fire Department stays at the scene all night VANASTRA - Flames and smoke could he seen for miles as the former arena here. now used for storage. caught fire on Oc- tober 14. Damage to the building and con- tents is estimated at $.350.000. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. The fire was reported at 6:13 p.m. with Brucefield and Clinton Fire Departments responding to the call. The building, which was filled with hay and one hay stacker. burned quickly and continued to burn the were monitoring the situation every half next day an hour to an hour According to Charles Rroadfoot. Assis- "There was no fear of it spreading tant Chief of the Brucefield Fire Depart- unless the winds started to pick up." he ment. the Clinton firemen left after an one said. and a half while the Brucefield fire As for insurance. Mr Broadfnot said. fighters stayed on during the night. Everything was insured." Although smoke and a few flames were The building was owned by Budd Boyes still seen the following day. Mr Rroadfoot and Peter Odd. No one was injured in the said the fire fighters decided to leave. but blaze. 21- HOURS LATER R This photo was taken on October 15, at 6:25 p.m., 24 hours after the fire started. Smoke was still filling the air and small flames eonthmed to hum as the Brii'efield Fire Depart- ment monitored the situation. (Anne Chisholm photo) Time to turn the clocks back one hour It's time to get back on to Eastern Stan- dard Time once again. On Sunday, October 25 at 2 a.m., each Canadian is required to turn their clock back one lour. This annual ritual will take us off daylight savings time. Brucefield warned they could lose post office By David Emslie BRUCEFIELD - Residents from this com- munity learned during an October 19 meeting that they are in jeopardy of losing their post office. Viola Higgs, secretary for Rural Dignity, met with over 50 concerned citizens to discuss the current postal situation in the area. Before discussing changes that might take place she briefly explained Rural Dignity is a group of people from all walks of life who were set up to help rural people. Their number one concern right now is in saving the rural post offices. She noted that the problems for the small post offices will arise when a post office is sold, such as it was in Brucefield, or when a post master retires. It is at this time that some conversion takes place. When someone is hired to take over the post office, they will be taken on as term employees, Mrs. Higgs noted. However, the new employees will not be offered actual post office jobs. They will become agents of the corporation, or contractors who are sup- plied materials and sell them on Commission. Running the post office on this basis, a person can expect to earn as little as 56 to 84 cents an hour, Mrs. Higgs added. "If no one takes it on at this rate of pay, then you will automatically get a super mailbox. As a result, you will have to go to Clinton to buy stamps, pick up registers or pick up parcels," she stated. b Mrs. Higgs also warned the group that they could be hurt economically if their post office is taken away. "We all know that if you're going to Clin- ton to pick up your mail, you're going to shop in Clinton, and do other things in Clin- ton," she said, adding that the eight or nine small businesses in the village will be hurt. "There are 11 (post offices) in the Huron area under review, and there is a great possibility they will be gone unless we can stop them. I think people have to work to save ther , or they will be gone," Mrs. Higgs said. She urged the local residents to write their Two charged Two Auburn men have been charged for the rash of car thefts which occurred from October 10-12, involving the theft of six vehicles. One van, one truck and three cars were stolen from residences while a second truck Parking situation has been a nightmare says mayor By Anne Chisholm CLINTON - "A bylaw change and pressure that made us begin to look at a parking situation has caused a two year nightmare," started Mayor John Balfour at the October 19 council meeting. The situation he was referring to was the parking at Kuenzig along issac Street bet- ween Wellington and Mary Streets. Approximately two years ago, Maynard and David Corrie brought their concerns about parking safety to council. They felt that the parking along Issac Street should be turned into parallel parking, providing a safer area for pedestrians to walk. After many studies and deliberations by council, the parking was converted to parallel parking on both sides of Issac Street. At the same time, the Issac to Well- ington Street was made a one way. This oc- curred approximately one and a half weeks ago. Last Friday, October 16, Ozzie Kuenzig received numerous complaints and a peti- tion with 212 signatures was gathered. i,ater that afternoon. an on site emergen- cy meeting was called by Reeve Bee Cooke. Those attending the meeting were the reeve, Deputy Reeve John Cochrane, Constable Mitch Latham, Public Works Superinten- dent Harold (ribbings. Mr. Kuenzig and the mayor. They were informed that "several serious" problems had arisen since the new parking format had been implemented on the east side of issac Street. "it was further pointed out that there was certainly a doubt as to the safety of the public because of the confusion created over so radical a change in parking styles and, as a result, some vehicles were being parked parallel and some parked at right angles to the building," noted the special report to council. The report went on to say that a decision was made to try a compromise layout of 45 degree angle parking on the east side of issac Street over the weekend to determine if there would be less confusion as to the pro- per parking position and to determine if it would help people become accustom to the one way traffic quicker. "It was also pointed out that if anglepark- ing was installed, safety posts could be in- stalled in front of parked vehicles, as are now in place in front of the store on Mary Street, which would provide guaranteed pedestrian safety for persons walking in the five foot marked sidewalk area along Issac Street side of the building," noted the report. According to Mr. Kuenzig, the experiment worked, "100 per cent better'. than the parallel parking. In further explaining why the 45 degree parking was working better. Mr. Kuenzig said, "Let's face it. We have a lot of older customers and they just can't pull ahead and back in." Turn to page 3 members of parliament, sign petitions and do some yelling to save their post office. After bringing the crowd up to date on possible changes that can take place, the meeting was thrown open so the people might voice their concerns. One man in the crowd noted that he goes through Brucefield every day for work and stops off at the post office on the way through. "I think it's a dirty deal if I have to go all the way to Clinton. If I have to drive to Clin- ton to buy a stamp, it's a bunch of malarcky." It was also pointed out that the rural post office is a tradition, and if it is taken away, it will be the end to part of the village's culture. "I think there are three things in a y com- munity that hold it together. We're- in one tonight, and the other two are the post office and the store. I recognize what they do for this community. We have to look at what this community would be like if we lost them," one concerned citizen. John Broad - foot said. The gathered citizens showed they fully supported Mr. Broadfoot's Sntiments when a show of hands was taken at the end of the meeting. When the group was asked if they would like to see the post office remain ex- actly as it is, every hand in the building went up, and many people put up both hands. The group also lined up immediately after the meeting to sign petitions. In three weeks time, a meeting is ex- pected to be arranged with representatives of the post office to hear their side of the story, and to let these representatives here how Brucefielders feel about the change. In the interim, though, Mrs. Higgs said the residents should get busy writing to their MPs, to the post office and to their MPPs. She explained Rural Dignity can help them out with advice, but they can't do all of the work for them. "You've had these services all these years, it's hard to believe you're going to lose them. You are going to lose them," she cautioned. in car thefts was taken from a storage area over the twu day period. When the Goderich OPF' recovered the vehicles, five of the six were damaged. One car was stolen from Auburn, one from West Wawanosh Township, two from Hullett Township and two from Clinton. Goderich OPP have also charged the pair with a few break and enters. CLINTON PUBLIC HOSPITAL BUILDING FUND