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Clinton News-Record, 1971-02-04, Page 1Principal tells story of Br. ticefield's longest school day ;or students all over the county last week ol was more than just somewhere to be een nine and four but somewhere they ,ed from Tuesday morning until rsday or Friday as one of the worst In$ in years stalled all activity. ere is a first hand report of things at Rnicefield's Huron Centennial ol written for the News-Record by A. her, the principal who directed the )ol during the trying 55 hours. 1 ell, despite our threat last week to close hop and beat it for Florida, we're still One reason could be that we couldn't ur car dug out of the huge drifts. he News-Record was a day late last week to the storm but we did get out. Many le perhaps don't realize that nearly all papers today are not printed in their shop. This is because the cost of a ern offset press is so high that it is more omical to share a press in a central ting plant. The printing plant for most papers is owned by Signal-Star ishing and located in Goderich. That of means travel to take copy to the t and bring the papers back. ith last week's storm, travel becomes a r problem. Many papers last week were al days late. The News-Record, thanks e persistence of manager Howard Aiken one of the first to be in the hands of the er. * ter being stormed out in their attempt tart their playoff series with Hanover, on Midgets will try it again tonight in •ver and here Sunday at 7 p.m. Turn out give them some support. * * ue to a change in departure time of n No. 158 out of Stratford for Toronto, despatch time for mail from Clinton to tford will be set at 5:45 p.m. effective uary 1, 1971, in order to make ections for Toronto and points beyond. give the local Post Office staff time to are for this despatch, customers should their mail as early in the day as ible, but not later than 5:15 p.m. * * * he 4-H Homemaking Club Training 001 for Separates for Summer will be throughout the county on the following s: ingham — Thursday and Friday, ruary 4 and 5, at St. Andrews byterian Church, Wingham, for Club ders West of Wingham, ingham — Monday and Tuesday, Nary 8 and 9, at St, Andrews :byterlan Church, Wingham, for Club, ders East of Wingham, xeter — Thursday and Friday, February and 12, at Exeter United Church, Exeter. Ninton Area — Monday and Tuesday, nary 15 and 16, at Wesley Willis United rch, Clinton. 'eaforth Area — Wednesday and rsday, February 17 and 18, at Wesley lis United Church, Clinton. his spring the club girls will be sewing ntner separates from cottons, cotton nds and knit fabrics. Miss Catherine Hunt, Home Economist Huron Comity, announced that Huron unty had 830 club girls complete the last ojeet Focus on Fitness. If you would like ur daughter to be a 4-H club member and e is 12 years of age by March 1st, 1971, ease contact Miss Hunt at 482-3128. * * * The PUG reported that they had no major roblems during the storm. Several house rvices had to be repaired when they were nocked out by falling branches during the igh winds. A fire hydrant was knocked over orrie time during the weekend but Wasn't liscovered and repaired until Tuesday. At the height of the storm the PVC used )ne of their big trucks to transport staff to and from HUrbriview, * * We received a telephone call the other day !rem a lady who wondered how we could lave so many personals from a small place Ike Constance when we had so few in the whole town of Clinton. The reason is simple. five have an excellent correspondent in Constance and she receives co-operation from the people in her community who let eer know what is going on. For nearly a year now Marg Rudd has been writing a column in the News.Record devoted specifically to personals from here le town and other town information, The problem is that often she just doesn't get many personals and she can't make them up and like any good reporter, doesn't report rumors. It' you have personals, please give her a can and let her know. We're interested and many people in town are interested in reading them. Weather 1970 '1.971 LO 'HI 1.0 Jan. 28 34 11 33 21 21 12 4 :34 15 28 12 '7 44 24 20 20 49 28 30 23 '5 21 8 31 5 . 0 35 4 Feb. 1 5 -4 40 31 Snow 30" Snow SW' BY A. MATHERS Shortly after noon on Tuesday we made the decision to remain at school overnight. A substantial order of food was requested from the two stores in Brucefield. During the next four and a half hours Barry Young — our busnanager, with the help of Gary Triebner on one snow blower and ,Bob Broadfoot on another attempted to deliver the food by bus. Fortunately a bread truck Crews fight to open railways No emergencies at hospital Despite the storm the regular routine at Clinton Public Hospital was not too upset. Miss K. Elliott, Director of Nursing said there were no real emergencies and only one baby was born during the period, on Tuesday Jan. 26 before the storm really closed in. Miss Elliott reported that lots of help was available. Extra nurses were called in from around town and the Department of Public Works and the snowmobile club provided transportation for the nurses to and front work. Several nurses from out of town were trapped in town by the blizzard. There was even an extra doctor on hand, a doctor from Ripley who had been on an ambulance travelling back from delivering a patient from Kbacardine to London. The ambulance was trapped in Clinton for the duration of the storm, Snowmobilers help in emergencies Up to a dozen members of the Clinton Snowmobile Club and several snowmobilers who were not members took part during the storm in emergency operations. From Wednesday afternoon -until Saturday night the snowmobilers were on call to deliver food, medicine and other necessities and provide transportation to such persons as nurses and patients to the hospital. Club members ranged to the east south, to Hohnesville in the east and halfway to Londesboro in the north. Three members, Barry Stevens, Don Jefferson and club president Fred Shropshall took part in an operation to help deliver a patient from a Hullett township farm to Clinton Public Hospital. A call was received by O.P.P. at Goderich 1:80 a.m. Sunday for assistance in getting Tony Fridont 24, to hospital from his home south of Londesboro. lie had been suffering from a nosebleed since Thursday and had a rising temperature, Police needed the aid of a highway's department snowplow to get, along Highway 4 as close to the farm as possible but were still two miles front the farm which was off the main road. The call then went out for the snowmobile club who got the patient out to the police cruiser which then brought him to Clinton Hospital where he was looked after. One thing is certain, we've got the snow for the winter carnival text week. The third annual Clinton Winter Carnival will begin on Monday, February S, with a bingo at the Legion Hall. On Wednesday there will be a card party at 8:30 at the Community Centre operated by the Wornen's Institute. Thursday and Friday win be the 1971 version of tee Nicks with the members of the Clinton Figure Skating Club. was stuck in the village and thus not only were the 160 loaves of bread purchased but Woo the driver became an assistant in trying to deliver it. Two other fellows with snowmobiles ended up delivering the food when it turned out to be impossible to get the bus through. Classes continued from 5:30 until 7:30 interspersed with a full schedule of gym activities, library use and television viewing, For Bell telephone the giant blizzard that crippled Western Ontario last week meant three times as many calls to be handled with a short-handed staff. The telephone system, about the only method of communication once the storm closed all roads, handled a great number of emergency calls even though the Clinton district switchboard was minus four regular operators who were stranded at their homes and couldn't get to work. One of the 13Y Vet LAM OKIw Trustee V. J. Vero, Stratford, was appointed to the Stratford City Traffic Committee by the Huron-Perth County Ronian Catholic Separate School Board at its meeting in Seaforth Monday night. Trustee Michael Connolly of It. n. 3, Molten, was reappointed to the TB and Respiratory Association. He gave a report on the Association's activities during the past year. He said films were available for public use, Trustee Ted Geoffrey, R. R. 2, Zurich, gave a report on the Salary Negotiating Committee seminar he attended in Toronto January 15-16. He reported many of the recommendations have been implemented by the board last year. Trustee John McCann, It, R. 3, Ansa Craig, chairman of the property and maintenance committee, recommended several minor improvements which the board approved—that an additional six feet of radiation be installed in the remedial room at Our Lady of Mount Carmel school, R. R. Saturday will kick off the busy weekend activities with a parade at I. p.m. followed by the official opening with Miss Norma Hickey, Miss Dominion of Canada, There will be horse races, a tug of war, broomball, a log sawing contest and a snowshoe race during the afternoon. Sunday wilt see the very popular snowmobile races at 1 p.m. at the track at the Community Centre. It looks like a good show if the weather to-operates. Meanwhile a few cans of soup, half a dozen boxes of biscuits and 20 eases of pop became supper for the students, No one complained. Coats, kyril mats, stage drapes and hall runners became mattresses and covers and classrooms became bedrooms. Some chose to sleep on the floor while others made chairs into a bed or slept on a bed of desk tops, storm-bound operators eventually made it to work on a snotemoeile. The rest of the staff, many of whom were storm stayed in town and couldn't get home, worked 12 to 11 hours a day. They were assisted by three former employees who were called on in the emergency. The storm was most trying for a new young supervisor, Brenda Fiewelling who had come up from Stratford to fill in for the regular supervisor who had picked the best 3, Dashwood, also that the lighting be improved in this room as well as in the principal's office at a cost of $93.60 and $110.32 respectively. —that additional toilet facilities be installed at Precious Blood School, Exeter, also repairs to the wash basins and piping at a cost of $323.81, and an additional water fountain to cost $218.00. —that additional washroom facilities be Please turn to Page 3 Choppers provide transportation in storm The chop-chop of helicopters was a familiar sound in Clinton last week as several helicopters operated in the area. Helicopters were pressed into service by the Armed Forces to airlift food into CM Clinton during the storm. The base was running short because it was feeding far more than its usual staff because civilians, members of the Ontario Hydro crews at their new building at the base and billeted schoolchildren ate up the reseinles. The helicopters flew in food from London. They also helped Mrs. Doug Thoredyke, whose husband died in California last week, to teach home after she was storm-bound in London, Ontario Hydro also made use of helicopters to forty men and equipment to tepair hydro breaks in rural areas that could not be reached due to clogged roads. The Stanley Township grader arrived about 10 p.m. and stood by for the night. By 11:30 the telephone ceased ringing, late snacks from the now arrived groceries had been served and all but the senior pupils were asleep, After the late movie these pupils also went to sleep. Few teachers slept more than an hoer, The chronicle of Wednesday differed little from that of Tuesday. All hoped the weather time for holidays. Anne Achilles, Winnie Bell, Jean Turner and Bev Chowen were cited by a Bell official for their hard work during the storm. And although the system was overloaded in the Clinton area at several times during the storm, it never gave out and area customers always had service. Areas such as Kincardine, Dashwood, Centralia and Ripley were not so lucky. Some were without telephones for up to a day and a half. The children were well-behaved and took the prospect of being separated from their families remarkably well. Neighbours often helped get food to the schools to keep the kids well fed. In town the situation was not so desperate. When it became obvious on Tuesday afternoon that students were not going to be able to get home offers of billets came flooding in to Central Huron Secondary School, Principal Robert Ilomuth reports that 600 students from out of town were billetted aroimel town. The situation was much the same with Calvin -Christian and St. Joseph's elementary schools where out of town students were billetted until Friday, would clear but weather reports and our own sense told us otherwise, The telephone came to life before 7 a.m, Wednesday's calls brought forth a very different response from almost everyone, Parents were not asking when the buses would run but rather, "What can we do to help?" Fortunately only a few parents insisted upon talking to their children. The callers were usually homesick in reverse, The Kippen Snowmobile Club offered and gave help in bringing groceries from Kippen and blankets from nearly everyone, A group of snowmobilers from Hensel' brought in groceries. Mr. and Mrs. Jim McIntosh brought in 60 dozen eggs on Wednesday evening so that everyone would have a good breakfast on Thursday. Some snowmobilers from Kippen, Hensel) and Brucefield made as many as three trips to bring supplies we needed. An interesting element of human concern was demonstrated on Wednesday. Four truck drivers who were stranded in Brucefield came in on snowmobiles and offered to stay up with the pupils and let some of the teachers sleep. What a relief, since Wednesday was a day of normal classes followed by a one and one-half hour indoor track meet. On Wednesday a few parents were able to take their children home by snowmobile. However with 62 pupils gone home we still had 540 to bed down. There were a few tears Wednesday evening when some of the children realized that they really were staying a second night. At one point six children were lying down "ill" in the health room when someone spread the word that Red Skelton was being shown on our four TV sets. All miraculously recovered within seconds. On two occasions we needed medical advice and once a prescription. The co-operation which we received from the three doctors and their assistance in getting the medication to us was just excellent. Minor medical hazards such as nose bleeds, cut chins, mumps, sick stomachs and colds were present but no more prevalent than usual. Stewart Broadfoot kept his snowmobile gassed up and his telephone by his bedside all night Wednesday in preparation for any emergency call. No emergencies arose, The children settled down earlier and slept better than last night. Maybe it was the good supper before going to bed. It certainly wasn't the horror movie on TV. Two or three children tried sleep walking and tripped over bodies on the floor. Some time around two o'clock one child sat up, yelled "Gobbled-up, Gobbled-up" and then went back to a sound sleep. The teachers spent the night taking hourly shifts in the rooms, getting work ready for the next day, washing the endless dishes, elevating their feet, and reading the magazines which one person so kindly sent in. At 5 we began cooking the 60 dozen eggs and making breakfast. The phone was quiet until 6:45, It was only a teacher's husband calling to see when she would be coming home. With incoming calls almost steady, as many as six people were lined up to make outgoing calls, some outgoing calls were just never made. Thursday morning we decided that it, was possible to send a bus to Seaforth and 'another to Bayfield. In order to do this, it meant checking with Department of IIIghways, County plows, O.P.P., establishing a drop off point, having snowmobiles at the drop off point, notifying C.K.N.X. and C.F.P.L. and then rounding up the children in families, making a list of ail who would be going on the bus and then loading them with the two teachers who would "man" the drop off points. Six drivers and two teachers took the first load of pupils in two buses to Egmondville relied Church and the next load to Graham's Store in Bayfield. After the remaining children had lunch at the school we hoped to despatch them le three loads. The first would go along Highway 4 to Clinton and then Seaforth. The second would proceed to McKinley's Hatchery where the children's parents would meet them. The final load would ply the concessions of Tuckersmith Township. The last bus never left the school. Again the snow storm had closed in. It looked as if 80 children would spent their third night at the school. Snowmobiles to the rescnel Within the next two and one-half hours about 20 snowmobilers showed up with extra suits and prepared to ferry home the 80 children. One group of snowmobiles met a bus at Hough Brothers and took the children borne that live north of the Mill Road. The Kippen snowmobilers and a group from the -centre of Tuckersmith took care of the children in the middle of the township. Many of these men made two trips in as many hours. Some of these men do not have any children in the school but risked the storm at their own expense. The last group of children was bussed to Hensall and taken home by the Ilensall snowmobilers. At 4 the last children left the sehool ending a 55 hour stay. What a relief to get home to our own families, to forget the telephone and sleep-. By naming or alluding to the various people and groups of people who assisted in their own way, I hope each will receive the thanks due. Ultimately the concern of all the people involved was the children. And they were above reproach, in fact magnificent. They vacuumed floors, did dishes, supervised games, :assisted in the library, helped in the kindergarten and primary grades, and kept up with their work in class time. Twenty-four teachers, two teacher aides, secretary and a caretaker are due tremendous thanks tot -co-operatively sharing an adventure which makes up that very useful store house of "Remember the time 'we were snowbound " St Column The struggle to provide rail transportation in the Huron County continued Wednesday as snow plow crews tried to clear two rail lines. The Canadian National Railways lines from Clinton to London and Stratford to Goderich were both closed by snow during the huge storm that hit the area last Tuesday and several attempts to clear the tracks have been unsuccessful. An attempt was made on Sunday to clear 106 Year - No. 5 the north-south line by two engines, a snowplow and a caboose. The train became bogged down about a half mile south of Brucefield. Five snowmobiles from Brucefield helped the crew to the home of Stewart Broadfoot in Brucefield where they contacted London to relate their plight, had some supper and relaxed until help came. About 3 a.m. on Monday two more engines from London arrived and attempted to pull the plow out from the rear. It was stuck fast and the crews were afraid more pulling might tear the caboose, which attached the new engines to the plowing train, apart. So the caboose was unhooked and towed back to Hensall where it was left. The engines then went back to the stuck plow and were successful in getting it out of the snow drift. It then backed into London, As of Wednesday no further attempts had been made to open the line. Crews were attempting to break a path through the east-west line near Holmesville on Wednesday. The stretch at Holmesville had been the big blockage on the line e between Stratford and Goderich. Carnival be-gins Monday Vere on traffic committee mattiattnentnineunneiniamininitienenienintionenintienninginninninuninitionimenninuntionnentnnainiennuenitenienginiononetniiiiiiinillnitimillinent1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 Clio ton, Oirlario 15 cents Th rs(I(ty, t'ebriurry 1, 1971 1111111111111111111111110111111111111111111111111111111101111111111111IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII1111111111111111111111111011illillellitilintintinelionnintintionneitinientinitilmillemillniimeinunintioutilinitiniumitenteiti ntillettetitintliete Visitors to Clinton who could make it into town from the north frosted these evergreens just at the town limits with a fine coating on Highway 4 were treated to a beautiful scene after the storm of frozen snow. Short-staffed operators keep Bell going Kids keep cool in storm How would you like to be a school teacher? The pay isn't bad and the holidays are pretty good and there is plenty of compaitionship. But the companionship went a little bit too far for most teachers in the area last week, no matter how dedicated they were. Many teachers at schools such as Ilullett, Central in LontieSboro, Huron Centennial at Brucefield and Goderich Township Central at Holmesville spent from Tuesday morning until Thursday or Friday with their children at school, being teacher, mother and father and whatever else the children needed. The storm last week set in so quickly that the staff of most schools were trapped with their children with no way to get the kids or themselves home, The storm lasted long enough that nerves must have been getting a little frayed. Yet most schools report that the whole emergency went off very well.