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Clinton News-Record, 1973-03-22, Page 1Bob Campbell AI, Vanastra prmi receives grant I • Only the back bumper of the Clive Allen Oar on John Street in CHOW is 110 that's showing following the late winter storm that hit the area, dumping up to 0,foot of snow and packing wind* that gusted to 60 miles an hour at times. Wayne Allen starts the arduous task of digging out the family car Sunday night after the wind died down somewhat. The storm tohowod two weekis of May-like temperatures. (Nows-ilecOrd photo) 30 year. Li6eral drought ends Riddell sweeps Huron vote Jack Riddell, a Dashwood area farmer and auctioneer, upset 3Q years of Progressive Conservative rule in Huron by defeating PC candidate Don Southcott by nearly 3,000 votes in last Thursday's by- election. New Democratic candidate Paul Carroll was a distant third and Indepen- dent Sociitlists Ed Bain's draw at the poll was negligible. Final tally of the March 15 by-election that was to pick a new member when Charlie KeeNaughton, who held' the riding for 15 years, retired, was Jack Riddell, Liberal, 8,855; Don Southcott, Progressive Conservative, 5,888, Paul Carroll, NDP 1,749; and Ed Bain, Independent Socialist, 36. The outcome of the election reversed the 1971 vote when Charlie MacNaughton had over a 6,000 vote majority over the Liberal and New Democratic Candidates. The Liberal victory was the first time a Liberal had been elected provincially since March of 1943 when the Conservatives took the seat from the Liberals and have been the government ever since, • Most political observers said the defeat of the Conservatives both in Huron and St. George, another PC stronghold, was caused by discontent among voters with the policies of Ontario Premier BM Davis and his government. Jack Riddell said there was an uneasiness in Huron about the govern- ment's plans for regional government in Huron. "People aren't ready to accept what the province is trying to impose upon them," he said. Mr. Riddell said that he fought a clean campaign with NDP candidate Paul Carroll but the PC candidate Don South- cott "acted too much like a front runner". In spite of Mr. MacNaughton's endor- sement of Mr. Southcott, who was his executive assistant in Queen's Park for the past five years, Mr. Riddell said many voters told him they thought Mr. Southcott was an outsider because he wasn't living in Huron and didn't plan on moving back if he lost. Mr. Southcott is co-owner of the Exeter Times-Advocate, A Liberal organizer, when asked about charges laid by some members of the PCs that the weekly press had been unfair to the Conservative candidate, said that when the Liberals had over 3,000 people at their last rally, nearly all the press ignored it while they gave wide coverage to the visit of Premier William Davis when he spoke to 108 Year - No.1 2 crowds of several hundred, Mr. Southcott said after his defeat that he didn't think that the regional govern- ment issue was a major cause for his defeat, "I honestly don't know what happened," Mr, Southcott said, "obviously I didn't in- terpret the mood of the public." Mr. South- cott said he would take full blame for the defeat. Weather 1913 1972 HI LO HI LO MARCH 13 42 29. 33 27 14 47 39 36 32 15 65 40 34 29 16 41 35 35 32 17 38 23 36 33 18 27 22 33 20 19 VI 21 31 Rain 1.69" Snow 7" Bob McKinley Huron's Conservative me said the people were just trying to throw a scare into Davis. Paul Carroll, whose share of the vote slipped from 3,427 in the 1971 election to 1,748 last Thursday visited the Liberal vie- tory party at the Pineridge Chalet last Thursday night and told the crowd, estimated at several thousand, that he had enjoyed the campaign and it was the NDP who had brought out the government's "consultation after the fact." He said the NDP had made important gains even though their portion of the vote slipped to 10 percent this time, "We know that this vote was an anti vote; yet our position on these matters leaves us in good stead for the credible alternative in 1975," Mr, Carroll, a Goderich school teacher said, • Ed Bain who has run as an Independent Socialist for the past two provincial elec- tions and last October's Federal election, saw his support slip to 36 votes from 95 in 1971. The warm balmy weather of last Thur- sday lured 73.8 percent of the 22,400 eligible voters to the polls in 65 degree tem- peratures. Of the 16,526 who voted, 54.5 percent voted for Jack Riddell, Don Southcott gar- nered 34,6 percent and Paul Carroll received 10.7 percent of the ballots cast. Thursday, March 2 2, 1 973 Hospital has busy year. Storm lashes district Bob Campbell of Clinton was re-elected to another year's term as president of the board of governors of Clinton Public Hospital at their Annual Meeting in the Town Hall last Monday night. Art Aiken was re-elected vice-chairman and 0. L. Engelstad was re-elected secretary-treasurer. Clinton, Goderich, and Goderich Town- ship residents who were thrilled late last summer by the Passe Muraille Theatre group, who wrote and performed a play about Huron County residents and then played it to packed houses and rave reviews in Toronto, will be pleased to know that the play is returning to Huron County. For three weeks this spring, beginning on April 25 and continuing to May 13, the group will present their now famous play in more than a dozen towns in Huron, Perth and Bruce Counties. The play, a sensitive, well-produced and sometimes humorous look at the people in 1 St Column BY J.F. Clinton's Centennial is only two years away and with that thought in mind, Clin- ton's Mayor Don Symons has informed us that there will be a meeting April 4 in the Town Hall at 8 p.m, to plan for the big event. All interested parties are invited to attend including service groups, church groups and even people from the surroun- ding area. Let's really get behind this plan as Clin- ton will only be 100 years old once, * * * Soccer is alive and well in Clinton and several junior teams will be formed shortly. The senior team is practising every Wed- nesday night at Vanastra in the Recreation Centre and they are looking for more players. If you're interested, come out at 7 p.m. or get in touch with Don Armstrong at 4829478 or 9528. Don't forget the girl's hockey Tour- nament being held this weekend et the Clinton and Vanastra Arenas, Further details are available elsewhere in the paper, Inside you'll find the five of sit pieces in the News-Record's "Guess who it is con- test," All correct answers are eligible for prizes, so send your guess in right away, Financial Chairman, Beecher Menzies revealed at the meeting that the ward rate in Clinton last year, $38, was the lowest in Huron County. The 1973 rate will be raised to $39.40 he said. In his address to the meeting, Mr. Camp- bell said that 1972 had been a different year for the hospital. Patient days were down by 1,700, but the hospital performed 449 operations, had 172 emergency cases, had 3,541 out patient calls at emergency, and did over 4,150 X-Rays with the help of the new X-Ray unit. Highlights of the year, Mr. Campbell said included the addition of Dr. Baker to the staff and the acquiring of the new $45,000 X-Ray machine.. Mr. Campbell added a special thanks to the very competent medical staff and the Hospital Auxiliary, who made the hospital one of the best in the County. A gift of $1,000 was bequeathed to the hospital by the late Tom Willis of Dash- wood, who was a patient at the hospital for some time. Mrs. Paul Walden reported that the Auxiliary had raised $1,439 from their Penny Sale and Vanishing Card Parties and had donated $3,000 to the hospital to the new X-Ray and cautery. Elected to two year terms as directors were J. W. Counter, Joseph Murphy, Mrs. W. J. Norman, Mrs. H. C. Lawson and R. B, Campbell. and around Clinton and Goderich Town- ship was written during the theatre groups two month stay on the Ray Bird Farm on the Maitland Concession of Goderich Township last summer, The play, a mixture of skits, songs and short one-act plays ,contains all the elements of a world famous play. In fact, the group will stage the play at Stratford in May following their tour of the towns and have been invited to play in Canada's number one cultural centre, The National Arts Centre in Ottawa, the last two weeks in August. In order to take the play to ,the people in the small towns and villages, the groups director, Paul Thompsom of Toronto, and a Listowel native, had to turn down a $30,000 offer to tour the New England States. The group was also asked to go to Broadway by famous theatre and TV direc- tor, Joseph Papp. Exact times, dates and specific towns the group will play haven't been set yet but Mr. Thompson Said he wanted the group to be sponsored in each town by a club or group and each group would receive half of the gate recipts for publicizing the group. "Any location can be used," Mr. Thomp- son stressed. "The town need not Please turn to Page 6 A newly formed company will set up P2 operations in Vanastra near Clinton a' assisted by an Ontario Development Corporation performance loan according 4' gi to an announcement by Industry and Ei Tourism Minister Claude F. Bennett, 1 Jabberocky Limited will receive an = $5,489 loan toward the eost of put- chasing new machinery to manufacture horse and livestock trailers. The corn- pany will require four employees when 5 production begins and anticipates 'ad- ding another four people within five years. 111111110111111111111101111111111011ifillifilinitt11111111110111111111111111110111T: The First Annual Clinton Girl's Hockey Tournament gets under way this Friday at the Vanastra arena at 7 p.m. when host team from Clinton does battle with their female counterparts from Wingham. Organizers, Frank Draper and Mike Stephens of Clinton, have promised some hockey action that will not be equalled for many years to come. A dozen teams are coming to Clinton this Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the girls will play more than 15 games and a Cham- pion and . Consolation champion will be decided Sunday afternoon in Clinton. This is Clinton's first attempt at a tour- nament involving this many girls and proves that there is nothing that the distaff side won't move into. Mr. Draper said he hoped Clinton and Young people ask for Bayfield arena BY MILVENA ERICKSON A group of young people namely Bud Sturgeon, Raymond Mair, Brian Brandon, Tim West and Brian Makins joined Coun- cil, Monday evening, March 19, with a request that they be allowed to use the Arena more often for various sports. At present, their idea is to use it for indoor lacrosse. Council advised them that, at present, the frost is not out of the floor and they felt that until the floor is completely free of frost, damage could be caused to the asphalt and plastic pipes. The boys were advised to keep checking with the Clerk regarding the condition of the arena floor and to get organized with a coach etc., and possibly something could be worked out to their satisfaction, Correspondence Snchtded a letter from Pollard Bros., stating their price on fl ake, Please turn to Page 6 After two weeks of balmy May-like weather, the district was struck by a bliz- zard Saturday and Sunday that closed many roads and caused the death of an area man. Frederick Charles Hogg, 81, of R.R. 2 Clinton near Holmesville was found frozen to death Sunday morning about 100 yards from his home on the driveway. He had been driven home Saturday night 'rom Clinton and was let off at his iriveway, about 200 yards from his home, It 9:30 p.m. The body was discovered Sun- Jay morning about 9 a.m. by a friend. The district was paralysed by winds that it times reached nearly 60 miles per hour, )lowing from six to 12 inches of snow into irifts up to 15 feet deep. At one point Saturday night, Highway 'to. 4 was closed for a short time but the i3oderich Detachment of the OPP reported only a few minor accidents as motorists either stayed off the roads or drove with extra caution. Many people were caught off guard when they removed their snow tires last week during the balmy weather. Even the Works Department of Clinton were caught un- prepared as they had taken off the plow and wing in order to grade town streets last week that had broken up during the mild spell. Ministry of 'transportation crews and Clinton Works Department crews worked The annual Easter Seal Drive to raise money for crippled children is "going very well" according to co-ordinator this year, John Livermore of Clinton. Again this year, the drive is being backed by the Lions Club and they hope to raise in excess of $1,200 in Clinton. Last year, more than $1,155 was raised by the Clinton Lions and sent to the crippled children in hopes of helping those children who are handicapped by some crippling ailment. Bayfielcl Lions and Blyth Lions are carrying on a similar blitz by mail in their around the clock to keep the streets open and all Clinton streets were passable by late Sunday afternoon. Many township roads around Clitttori weren't cleared until late Monday after- noon and some long farm lanes were still being dug out Tuesday. Along Lake Huron, waves whipped by gale force winds caused extensive damage to the already threatened shoreline.--The water, which is already at an all-tithe high, smashed into banks at Bayfield causing serious undermining all along the lake shore. Ministry of natural resourses of- ficials said that during the natural processes of erosion, many more tons of earth will slip into the lake as the banks level out. Elsewhere along the lake, some cottages were threatened north of Bayfield and one boathouse was destroyed. At the cottage of Dr. Frank Newland of Clinton, little is left of the front lawn and another storm packing high winds from the west or northwest could collapse a few of the cottages. The editor of the Clinton News-Record, who journeyed down to Toronto Friday night to see Dillion Song, owned by George Elliott of Clinton, trot to a third place finish in the rich Don Mills Stakes Satur- day afternoon, reported that it took 7 1 /9 hours to drive back to Clinton from Toronto last Sunday. communities, 1 Three weeks ,,ago, the Clinton Lions mailed 1,450 letters to residents in Clin- ton, Brucefield and the Clinton rural routes. Each letter' contained Easter Seals and a plea for funds to carry on this noble work. Mr. Livermore said he expected about 400 replies. Mr. Livermore wished to remind people to return their checks or money orders as soon as possible and hoped that people would dig out the latter if they had filed it away for future scrutiny. Jack Riddell, lett, receives congratulations from Don Southcott, the defeated Progressive Conservative candidate and his wifeo following the election last Thursday night. It was the first time in 30 years that a Liberal had been elected in a Provincial election, The by-election was necessary when Charlie MacNaughton, a 15 year member, stepped down in mid-term. (News-Record photo) Gals to focus on pucks area residents would come out and support this effort, as financial success of the tour-, nament depends on gate receipts. Ad- mission is 50c for adults and 25c for children and students. Teams included in the tournament in- clude Forest, Gorrie, Ilderton, Wingham, Tavistock, Seaforth, Palmerston, Lambeth, Belmont and Clinton. Theatre group to return Easter Seal drive on