Clinton News-Record, 1971-05-20, Page 1At Mothers', owner of the Stedmans clepartment store in Clinton, shows one of the areas
MOO victimized by shop lifters at his store, 'the lingerie pounter. Lingerie, cosmetics and
stationary are among the hardest hit areas in the StoreiNouse tity are easy to conceal.
The annual Spring Thankoffering at Ontario Street United
Church last Sunday had two very interesting speakers. The
Thankoffering, a joint venture by the United Church Women of
Ontario Street and Wesley-Willis Churches heard stories of India
from two long-time medical missionairies Doctors Jean and
Catherine Whittier. Seen here with some of the items from India
displayed by the missionairies are, (left to right) Mrs. Norman
Trewartha, president of the Ontario St. UCW, Dr. Jean Whittier,
Dr. Catherine Whittier and Mrs. Ted Davies, president of the UCW
of Wesley-Willis.
Indian missionaries speak at Thank offering
BY HELEN AIKEN
The Spring Thankoffering of Ontario
Street and Wesley-Willis UCW was held at,
'Ontario Street Church on Sunday evening,
May 16.
The call to worship was given by Mrs.
Norman Trewartha. The Devotional period
was conducted by Mrs. Ross Trewartha, Mrs.
J. Nediger and Mrs. E. A. Davies, taking as
their theme "Missions."
Ontario Street Male Quartette composed
of Mr. John Levis, Mr. Don Symons, Mr.
George Turner and Mr. Stanley Johns sang
"Keep On Praying" and "My Anchor Holds"
accompanied by Miss Lois Grasby,
'Ushers were Mrs. June Johns, Mrs.
Roberta Plumsteel, Mrs. Edith Wright and
Mrs. Ethel McPherson.
Mrs. IL W. Wonfor introduced the guest
speakers, Dr. Jean and Dr. Catherine
Whittier, retired medical missionaries from
India, who gave an illustrated talk "Mission
Work In India." They were wearing the
native Indian dress and between them they
had spent 70 years in medical and
missionary work in India.
Plans for Fiddler's finalized
look out for because word spreads among
the merchants via the grapevine so their
reputation follows the suspected thieves
from store to store.
Mr. Mathers said the worst time far
shoplifting was in the winter when shoppers
are wearing heavy clothing and could easily
hide merchandise. But he said there were
many other sneaky ways to beat the store
out of its merchandise. Thieves often pick
up an item in a package, head for the back
of the store, take it out of the package, bury
the package among clothing piled on the
counter and carry the item out in their
potket. Once the merchandise is out of the
package it's hard for the storekeeper to
prove the item is stolen and not something
brought into the start by the shopper.
The fitting rooms are the scene of a great
deal of larceny. A favourite trick is to try to
wear clothing from the store inside regular
clothing.
They have it down to a science, Mr.
Whets said.
The de-packaging bit seems to be a
favourite ploy around town. Mr. Smith said
it was a problem at his store and employees
at Newcombe's Drug Store said they hadn't
caught anyone but had found empty
packages from time to time.
Teenagers seem to be the worst offenders
although adults are involved too. Mr.
Mathers said that girls were perhaps the
worst but it Alv'as really pretty much a
toss-up. Most frequently stolen items in his
store are stationary, lingerie and cosmetics.
They are easily pocketed and hid. But even
bulky records are disappearing at a regular
rate,
The problem keeps The staff and
management on steady watch to apprehend
would-be thieves. But Mr. Smith said that
because of the particular age group most
often involved they have to watch everyone,
and that makes the innocent shoppers
uncomfortable.
Those apprehended will be more than
uncomfortable. There is no specific charge
for shoplifting in Ontario. The charge Most
often levied is theft of an item under $50 in
value. expensive items May bring a Charge Of
theft over $50.
Clinton Police Sergeant Leroy Desch
recalls a recent conviction which brought a
fine of $60 — for -theft of cigarettes from
Ciarriet 'Red and White worth $2.06.
Fines for second offenders are often much
stiffer. And beyond the fines, the convicted
shoplifter carries a criminal record for life,
an obstacle in obtaining many types of
work. It's a tough situation for a youngster
to face for the rest of his life,
Some of the merchants would like to see
an organized program by the merchants to
combat the problem. One such campaign in
Alabama which involved both an educational
campaign and a crackdown, cut incidents of
shoplifting over the busy Christmas shopping
period last year by 40 per cent.
40101010.11e
t.
Municipal officers
discuss planning Clinton News-Record
Weather
len 1970
HI LO HI LO
.106 Year No. 20
The Kinsmen Club of Hensel} held their
regular meeting at the Cozy Corner
Restaurant, Wednesday, May 5. Guest for
the evening was Pat O'Brien.
Plans for the Fiddler's Contest were
finalized. Chairman of advertising, Doug
McArthur reported that the posters and
entry forms would be going out within the
week.
Chairman of the contest, Wayne Reid,
gave the following report: The Henson
Kinsmen hold the Charter for the Ontario
Fiddling Championship Contest, which was
aquired from, our Provincial Government of
Ontario.
The Fiddler's Contest will be held in the
Hensall Arena, Friday, June 18 and
Saturday, June 19, A total of $840 in cash
prizes will be offered along with 10 trophies
(Sec Page inc)g
News-Record gets new home
agent for Mclntee Real Estate.
The present premises of the newspaper is
owned by Clinton Conunercial Printers Ltd.
who occupy the rear podion of the building.
The printing company will remain in its
present location.
Renovations to the new home of the
News-Record will delay occupancy of the
building.
BY WILMA OKB
Over 125 representatives of the 26 Huron
County municipalities were told Tuesday
that "with planning," the new Huron
County plan "will have a significant impact
on the future of the County for the orderly
and logical development of the area",
Speaking at the annual meeting of the
Huron County Municipal Officers
Association in Londesboro on Tuesday, J, A,
Nicklom president of the G. V. Kleinfeldt
and Associates; (London) Limited, said that,
"Huron is being downgraded as not having
too much potential." He was referring to the
report designed for development of the
Midwestern Region, Phase 1 that had said
Huron was most rural of the counties of the
MODA region and that manufacturing is
largely absent from the county — and one of
the implications of that was that the rural
population has left the county in favour of
the industrial cities outside the county.
The Kleinfeldt firm has compiled an
official plan for the county and Mr. Nicklom
stated "the plan is a living document that
gives positive guidance while at the same
time providing protection to the agricultural
nature of the county".
During the daylong session, the county's
future development was explored. A number
of questions were directed to Mr. Nicklom
on the plan. On the platform with him were
Kent Murray of London, Planning Adviser
with Department of Municipal of Affairs and
Gary Davidson, of Goderich, the newly
appointed Planning Director for Huron, who
also answered many questions. The plan will
require ultimate approval from all 26
municipalities (16 townships, five towns,
and five villages) after public meetings have
been held, objections considered and •any
necessary revisions made. Then it will go to
County Council for final approval.
st
Column
The Oldtimers ball game which was to be
held between town oldtimers and Base
oldtimers at the Community Park this
Friday has been postponed until Wednesday
night, same time and place, The change was
made because this is a holiday weekend and
many of the players will be out of town.
* * *
We don't know who to credit, but
someone around town has been brightening
things up by painting all the street sign posts
and stop sign posts. Little things like that
make quite a difference in the appearance of
our town.
* * *
This being a long weekend, mail deliVeries
will be affected.
There will be no wicket or rural route
service on Monday, May 24 but the lock box
lobby will be open 24 hours as usual. Mail
will be dispatched at 5:30 p.m,
* *
All this mess on the main drag certainly
has been hard on Albert Street businessmen.
Naturally all the construction has cut down
on the amount of business they are doing,
but they can't even use their spare time
profitably because it's also killed the
girl-watching.
* 4;
Actually though, we've been quite
surprised in our office at the number of
stubborn people who won't let a little
construction get in their way. We expected
to be lonely after they took away our
sidewalk, but people kept coming in. We
were going to strike a medal for those who
braved the conditions but gave up because of
such short notice.
Thanks should also go to the McDowell
construction crews who did their best to
minimize the hazards.
Looking out Wednesday morning, with
our nice new even sidewalk now dry, it was
easy to think all the mess was worth it. Now
when they finished the Whole street,,.,.
A Clinton youngster was caught
Shoplifting last week and charged. He may
be the first of many as Clinton merchants
crack down on a growing problem in the
next few weeks,
Shoplifting has become so prevalent in the
Mr. Nicklom told the municipal, officers
that "the plan provides a set of goals and
objectives for the future —a framework — to
enable you to do your job better".
Concluding, Mr. Nicklom said, "It is not
the intent of this plan to alter or redirect the
established development patterns without
good cause, but rather to provide a planning
environment in which the normal increase in
urbanization can take place, subject to
(See Page Nine)
Mayor Don Symons called again, on
Monday night at a meeting of town council,
for the county to take over the cost of
recreation in all areas of the county.
Mayor Symons had earlier made the
recommendation at council last week.
The mayor said he felt it was the only
equitable method of distributing the costs of
recreation over both urban and rural areas.
Earlier this year Clinton council had met
with representatives of the township
councils of Stanley, Tuckersmith, Hullett
and Goderich. One of the topics of
discussion at that time was the cost of
recreation.
Clinton councillors felt it was unfair for
town taxpayers to pay all the bills for
expensive facilities while rural residents
gained the benefits too.
Most of the rural representatives seemed
to agree on the subject. A stumbling block
arose however as to how such costs could be
realistically assessed since all • of the
townships bordered on another town or
village besides Clinton where some of its
rural residents also use facilities.
It was this problem that the mayor felt a
county takeover would eliminate.
He explained that a mill on the county
level raises more than $$70,000. At that rate
it would take only half a mill over the
county to pay recreation costs at Clinton,
which has one of the larger recreation
complexes in the county.
The Mayor felt it would help the smaller
municipalities such as Hensall and Blyth to
meet the costs of good facilities.
Graduates
from Centralia
John H. Duizer, son of Mr. and Mrs. Herb
Duizet of RR 5, Clinton, graduated Friday.
May 14, from the Centralia College of
Agricultural Technology With an honours
diploma in Agricultural Business
Management.
last while that some Clinton merchants have
threatened to charge alt offenders without
questions end without exceptions to age or
any other reason,
Bill Smith of Smith Office Supply stated
he Was afraid to estimate the loss in his store
Council Monday night met with a
delegation from the Clinton RecreatiOn
Committee composed of Chairman Don Kay
and Clarence Neilancls, The delegation
brought the committee's objections to the
request made by town council at its regular
meeting last week that a report of expenaes
and income on the committee be given to
the council each month.
Mr. Kay said that his committee felt that
if the council had time to scrutinize the
expenses of the committee each month, they
might as well be running the whole program.
He said the committee members felt it
looked as if the council did not trust them
to make decisions.
Councillor Bill Crawford was among
several of the councillors who assured the
delegation that the council was not
interested in interfering or in expressing
criticism but just wanted to know the whole
financial picture of all town departments.
Mr. Kay asked if such a month statement
couldn't leave the way open for criticism of
small points in the recreation spending or of
the employees of the department.
Mayor Symons, who had cast the deciding
vote on the issue last week admitted that
there was that possibility.
The mayor said that he had not thought
the request would generate such strong
feeling among members of the committee
and assured the delegation that council was
quite happy with the job the committee was
doing.
Whoops!
There goes
the music
Sometimes the view from "behind the
scenes" can he as interesting as that from the
audience. When the Grade four class gave
their presentation of "Instruments of the
Orchestra" at the Spring Concert at A./M.
Hugh Campbell School last week, Mr. Bernie
Page, the trumpet player, found that he had
no place to put his musical score sheet of the
final song, "Sesame Street", so he pinned it
to the collar of Trent Brolund, the student
standing directly in front of him,
This was interesting enough when viewed
from the back, but became even more
interesting when the class had finished
singing, and filed off stage with the orchestra
still playing.
Trent, of course, went off with his
classmates, with the sheet still firmly pinned
to his collar, leaving Mr. Page to watch his
music disappearing in the distance.
J. Howard Aitken, manager of the Clinton
News-Record announced this week that the
News-Record has purchased a new building
and will move its offices in late summer or
early fall.
Negotiations were completed last week
for purchase of the former Ontario Hydro
office at 53 Albert Street. The building was
formerly owned by Mrs. Frank Fingland and
was purchased through Clarke Zinn, local
in stolen merchandise. He knew, however,
that he loses 60 cents a day on average in
stolen newspapers from the newspaper boxes
outside the door, Added up over a year and
it becomes a significant amount, he said.
Al Mathers, owner of Stedmans
department store said he had to lock one
door and make everyone go through the
checkout counter because of the amount of
merchandise being carried out the door.
Mr. Smith said he didn't like laying
charges but "it comes to the point where
you have to forget about that to protect
your own property,"
In the past, he said, he has had One policy
for younger offenders and another for
teenagers: Up to age 10 or thereabouts, he
would take the thief into the baekroom and
give him a lecture to try to scare him. if it
was a habitual Offender he would call the
police and have them throw a scare into the
youngster to try to prevent reoccurrence of
the affair.
"I draw the line about age 12," Mr. Smith
said. "By then it'S not a game anymore.
They're old enough to know it's wrong."
For these offenders, he calls the police.
"I've never caught a kid yet who admitted
it wasn't the first time he had done it."
He said many parents would be shotked if
they knew who was involved in some of the
shoplifting incidents. He said he had caught
children of some of the Most respected
families in toVvri at the act,
He said the Merchants Soon know who to
The excellent photography portrayed to
the audience the progress the church had
made over the years in medical science and
teaching of. Christianity to the Indian
people. The pictures pointed out how the
mission work extended a helping hand to
those in need.
Following the program Mrs. Norman
Trewartha moved a vote of thanks to the
guest speakers for their very interesting talk.
The meeting closed with the Benediction
by Dr. A. J. Mowatt and a social hour was
held in the Ladies Parlour.
Bruce Schoenhals of the Clinton Public
Utilities Cote nitsion directs a new cement
pole into place along the 'main street. Nevir
lamp poles are being installed all along the
main 'street as eonstruction -Continues,
May 11 74 41. 72 44
12 70 38 69 52
18 e3 60 64 50
14 64 29 61 49
15. 77 40 70 46
1.6. 72 52 61. 50
17 73 38 54 45
Rain .98"
Shoplifting increasing, merchants plan crackdown
ursday, May 20, 1971
„amaimmoimmin.wo.•••101•10.!
Symons calls for count
takeover of recreation
Witt ton, tho 'aria ,
25 cents