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Clinton News-Record, 1970-07-09, Page 9Clinton News-Record. 19§:tti:YgPsri. Na, 28 ,0.1,INTDN, ONTARIO — Tfic)RSPAY., JU rI.Y ' 9, 19.74 SECOND SECTION pffiffilitopoimpowilimoillififfilmilopowillumlqupwnwoniumiololionoommownwitnywillmwomoymilifitionotompoioniminiiHnonowomnimplinimpiliwommoimompoloplowwwitomppoofillomomowymomilimmi A .scenic tour of beautiful Griffith's pond This old tire floated in the water near the shore on the high school side of the pond. It was surrounded by green scum. On the opposite side of the pond from the high school, the situation is almost as bad. Bits of metal, old bricks, broken sidewalks, tree trunks, cardboard and fill from construction projects line the steep bank from William Street down to the pond. Rusted, sharp chunks of metal used in the metal shops for practicing welding lie among piles of wood shavings and sawdust from the woodworking shops at the Central Huron Secondary School. You can see that Griffith's Pond (sometimes called Cardwell's Pond) must have been . a beautiful spot at one time. Huge willows line the shores of the pool in the gully that runs back between William and Raglan Streets, beside ,Central Huron Secondary &Iwo'. There is no running water in the pond, but at one time according to those who used to know the area, there used to be a natural outlet that let the water drain from the pond, At a recent council meeting, Town Council spent Photos by K. Roulston considerable time discussing the. pond. They were told by engineer Colin Trivers that they should be making preparations now for the eventual draining of the pond since health officials felt it was only a.matter of time before the pond became .a health hazard and had to be drained. Council was told the natural outlet seemed to have been, blocked and that drainage was much slower now so that the pond stayed full of stagnant water most of the year while before it had been dry the latter part of the summer. Several councillors blamed the blockage on landfill on the west side of the Pond off William Street by a land owner on that side of the pond, They called for action to have the filling stopped. Then they walked out of the council chambers and nothing further was done on the matter, Recently, during a track and field meet at the high school, our photographer had a chance to get' a first hand look at the pond, lie found some surprising things and here presents a scenic tour of oncebeautiful Griffith's Pond. If it wasn't for the thick green scum lying on the water, this view of the shady bank of the east side of the pond would be very beautiful. This fallen tree trunk leaning over the water has been a favourite target of marksmen throwing pieces of sharp metal from the, shops at the high school on the hill. If this many hit the tree and stuck, how many more must have missed and are lyirjg in the water? The east L;ank of the Ponii appears to have hettinie dumpingground fro iiirefs'a from the* autos metal end woodworking shops Of Central Huron Secondary SChool. Three stripped chasis of automobiles lie in the grass in'the foreground while a pile of assorted trash lines the incline'directly at the rear of the school hi the background. Some Of the remnants of the tars discarded by the SchoOl shops didn't remain on the bank, This door, covered with the 'green Sciien that covers the whole pond, lies in the shallow water of the pond.