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Clinton News-Record, 1974-12-12, Page 1Ho! Ha! Ha! Santa came to Clinton last Saturday at the Clinton Retail Merchants Association's Santa Centre on Huron Street and he was deluged with customers. Here,Matthew Butcher, left, three, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Butcher of Clinton, and Lori Thom- pson, six, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Thompson of Clinton. Santa will be here the next two Saturdays to take requests. Among the more popular items this year are brand new baby brothers, and a beer truck. (News-Record' photo) Bendix strike over Weather 1974 Hi to' DECE1VIBKt 1973 HI to 3 33 -24 56 37 4 32 16 53 42 5 29 23 52 35 6 33 17 35 27 ^ 7 37 29 33 28 8 38 26 32 23 9 2$ 21 34 24 Rain .42" Rain .32" •Snove Clinton, Ontario cents Clinton News-Record Thursday, December 12 1974 109 Year No 50. Clinton to ace 6 mill tax. increase sewage system improvements, which were $431,220 will be paid by 7 718 per cent, 20 completed last June, yeer Central Mortgage and Housing deben- An 18 day strike by 285 workers at the Bendix Home System plants in Hensall en- eded last Tuesday night, and all the workers were back to work Wednesday morning. Contest nears end Three more area readers were winners this week of $5 each in the Clinton News- Recorcrs "Spot the Merchants Contest", which will end this week. Next week all the entries, now num- bering in the thousands, will be put in a large drum and one lucky person will receive $100 as a grand prize. Winners from last week were Mrs. Jack Mustard of Brucefield, Goldie Rutledge of Huron Street in Clinton, and Mrs. Jake DeRuyter of Walker Street in Clinton. Each will receive a $5 gift certificate. The correct answers to last week's con- test were Beattie Furniture, Donald B. Johnston Electric Ltd., Fee's Groceries, and Clinton Electric Shop. Look elsewhere in this week's paper for the new contest, identify the merchants connected with the pictures, and send or bring your entry to Contest Editor, Clin- ton News-Record, Box 39, Clinton, On- tario. By Jim Fitzgerald We'd like to welcome our new Middleton orrespondent, Mrs. Blanche Deeves, who ill be reporting the happenings out that way. If you have some interesting hap- penings out Middleton way to report, give her a call with the details. She will be more than happy to publish your news in the News-Record. * * Even though winter doesn't officially start until December 21, spring is just around the corner. At least that's what the seed companies would have you think. With December only a few days old, the catalogues are pouring in enticing the eyes of all the poor winter-struck gardeners in the area, The prices for next year aren't so enticing, however, with some of the basic seeds like beans and onions costing from twice to four times what they were worth last year. Some varieties are already sold out or are in short supply because of crop failures teat year. It may be a tough year for us home gardeners. * * As is the case with most weekly newspapers, the News-Record is always hungry for local news, and at this time of ear, particularly for hockey news, Readers ant to know why we haven't news on this alm or results from that team, We rely eavily on members of local teams or in- erested petsons to bring in a write-up or etails of the games and trying to chase own a dozen teams each week wouldn't eave much time for anything else, so if you re connected with a local team, won't you elp us and your tans by getting your eports in? An agreement hammered out Tuesday in a six hour meeting between management and Local 3054 of the 'United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America was given approval Tuesday night at a union meeting by a three to one margin. The new two year contract. gives the union workers a 75 cent per hour raise in the first year, and 55 cents an hour in the second year. Basic wage at the plant before the strike was $3.38 per hour. The union and management also agreed on another contentious issue, a cost of living bonus, which will give the workers 15 cents maximum per hour extra in the second year of the contract. The company, which manufactures mobile homes and recreational vehicles, also agreed to an, improved fringe benefit package. The union had rejected an earlier wage offer last Saturday, which included a com- pany demand that the workers return to work on Monday. The workers said this was an ultimatum from the company and stayed off work Monday and Tuesday. The union described this as a "scare tactic" aimed at splitting the membership from their leaders. Ba teld has BY MILVENA ERICKSON Several letters were received by Hayfield Council at their last regular meeting for 1974 on Monday evening. Bob Huntley, on behalf of Bayfield Building Centre, presented a letter of request for a zoning chatige from residen- tial to commercial. Some other requests have also been received for zoning changes and any further requests should be submit- ted to the Planning Committee, Only, one recount Terry Maguire, who was defeated for the mayor's post in Clinton last Week by in- cumbent Don Symons, says he is satisfied with the results of the election and will not ask for a recount. However, Helen Tench of Clinton, who came eighth in the race for the six council seats, says that she is still asking for' a recount. Mr, Maguire told the News-Record this . week that he checked the duplicate ballots accounts and the statement sheets with Clerk Cam Proctor and found everything in exact and proper order. He was defeated by 44 ballots, Mr, Maguire said he has offered his congratulations to the Mayor and hopes to be able to serve Clinton in other activities in the future. Mrs. Tench told the News-Record on Tuesday she still wants a recount, and she has until next Monday to declare her in- tentions and deposit $100, She was five votes behind Bill Stauttener who placed seventh in the race for six seats on Clinton council. Mrs. Tench feels that if for some reaso or another, another councillor should drop out sometime in the next two years, that the runner-up in the election would be moved into council, although there is no law binding council to such action. Taxpayers in Clinton could face a six mill increase on their 1975 tax bill next year because of soaring cost incurred on the recently completed sanitary sewage system rknovations. The increase may come as a result of a by-law passed last Monday night at the ,,, December Clinton Council meeting that will raise $96,500 Petra to pay for the Because Christmas falls one Wednesday this year, and Boxing Day is on Thursday, the News-Record has changed its publication dates. There will be the regular edition published next week, December 19 with all the deadlines the same as usual, but the Christmas issue of the News-Record will be printed on Monday, December 23 and distributed Tuesday morning, December 24. There will be no paper on Thursday December 26. In order to facilitate the composition of the Christmas issue, advertisers and BY WILMA OKE Rene Brochu, 146 Dunlop St. Clinton was appointed Parks and Facilities manager at Vanastra, at a meeting of Tuckersmith Council on Tuesday night. He will fill the vacancy created when Ted Thirston, recreation director, resigned and moved to Regina, Sask. Mr. Brochu will receive a salary of $8,500 with duties commencing January 1, 1975, A delegation from the Vanastra Recreation Committee attend the meeting, including Wilfred Schneider, Jim Broad- foot and Barry Davis. Mr. Broadfoot reported on the com- pletion of the lottery to raise money,for en- closing the swimming pool at Vanastra to make it a year round facility. He said only 360 tickets were sold to raise $8750. far short of the $35,000 hoped for. In the attempt to raise $10,000, Council gave approval to a share-the-wealth lottery Clinton will have a winter carnival atter all, it was decided at a meeting last Thur- sday. A month ago, only four people showed up at a carnival meeting and organizers said • the 1975 version would be scrapped if more interest wasn't shown. Last week about 25 persons turned out to the meeting, and with the new blood, the Carnival will go ahead. It will be called the Clinton and District Centennial Winter Carnival and will feature many of the events of last year in- cluding a few new ones. The Winter Carnival will run from January 31, a Friday night, until February 9, a Sunday. A tentative program is being biggest tree An invitation from Goderich Township to attend their Planning Workshop Program for public discussion on a secon- dary plan for their Township was accepted, as was an invitation to attend dinner with Bud Chamney for the reeve, councillors and corporation employees along with their wives and/or husbands. • Council learned from the ministry of natural resources, who are compiling an honour roll of the largest trees in Ontario, that Bayfield possesses the largest basswood tree on record in Ont, and the Ontario Housing Corporation advised that Bach-McDougall of London had been awarded the contract for the 17 Unit Housing project for Senior Citizens. Coun- cil received and recorded the minutes of the last meeting of the Holmesville Land Fill Site committee and learned of projec- ted costs from Mr. Levis to Dec. 31, 1974. A meeting is to be held on Tues., Dec. 10, to further discuss costs of operation for 1915. (Bayfield's share is six percent of total costs.) A letter from the Magna Carta Group in respect to the alternate site chosen by a government body for the South Timiskaming Hospital was filed, A request from Dry Dock Marina requesting per- mission to install a drain through Village property to the existing drain was granted with 100 percent costs to be borne by Dry Dock. In other business, council passed a resolution that Gordon Graham be accep- ted as an alternative delegate on the Holmesville Land Fill Site committee with the same privileges as the Reeve; eridoreed a resolution from the- Township of March to petition the ministry of environment to otio i,uftwo tiv liOti of returnable glass and to ask Dick Eisler of Goderich to at- tend at a public meeting at his convenience to answer questions regarding costs etc. as an Animal Control Officer. Originally, the improvements were estimated •to cost $770,000' but because of an increase in construction costs and in- terest raees, the price soared to a final cost of $867,304. About $143,740 of the '$876,304 is' forgivable, by the government, while correspondents are advised to have their copy in as early as possible, with the classified ad deadline being 5 p,m. on Friday December 20. The last deadline for news copy will be Saturday December 21 at 12 noon. The New Year's edition will be printed on Monday December 30 and distributed on Tuesday morning December 31, The deadlines will be December 27 at 5 p.m. for classified and Dec. 28 at 12 noon for news. We sincerely hope that our advertisers and correspondents will help us get over this difficult period. to be started by the recreation committee. Permission to sell tickets will be sought in the surrounding municipalities - Seaforth, Clinton, Hensall and the Townships of Stanley, McKillop, Goderich and Hullett. Council was notified recently by the federal government that the pool received a LIP grant of $24,934,00. The recreation committee expects to start work on the walls and roof for the pool with the grant money as soon as a qualified construction man can be hired to supervise the work. Passed for payment were accounts totalling $297,357.18, including Vanastra recreation costs of $10,007.49; road ac- counts of $30,461.57; general accounts of $256,888.12 .including fees for six Deputy Returning officers of $180 and for six poll cleies of $156 arid also school tax levies. -Several members of' coaecil. -indicated they would be attending either one or both drawn up and will be posted in the arena and uptown shortly. A new executive was also picked last week. They include chairman, Ruth Lom- bardo; co-chairman Mary Divok and Terry Maguire; secretary, Mrs, Shirley Poisson; and treasurer, Mrs. Polly Powell. The next general meeting will be held on January 8 at the arena. New police hired Clinton has ea new policeman. He is Don Shropshall of Clinton, who was hired last Monday night at the regular Clinton coun- cil meeting. Mr. Shropshall, 26, will be hired as a probationary constable, effective next Mon- day, December 16, and he will also have to attend Police College in Alymer at a future date. Council was informed that the police commission received eight applications for the job, left vacant when Constable Don McDonell was fired last October. The commission interviewed three of the applicants and recommended that Mr. Shropshall be hired, tures, and the other $292,243 will be paid off with 11 per cent' Ontario Municipal Corporation debentures. The debentures will be paid off by charging water users a 230 per cent sur- charge for sewage. Rather than add on to the sewage sur- charge, council thought it would be better to add the extra amount directly on to the tax rate. For the average residential taxpayer, who in 1974 paid 135 mills in taxes, the ex- tra six mills could mean an increase in taxes from $10 to $20 dollars. e. In other business, council will look into the possibilities of forming a committee of council members and senior citizens to examine ways of setting up a senior citizens recreation centre and drop-in centre. The idea came about after council was approached by a delegation of senior citizens, including former councillor Jim Armstrong and Clinton Senior Citizens' Club president Leona Lockhart. They wanted to know if the $25,000 of two conventions to be held in February - The Association of Rural Municipalities in Toronto, February 9. 11, 1975 and the Good Roads Convention in Toronto February 25 to 26. A tougher dog control by-law was passed last Monday night by Clinton council that will double the dog licenses next year, and will give fines for not obtaining licenses or letting dogs run loose. Dog tags in Clinton will now cost $4 for males and spayed females, and $6 for each additional dog. Female dogs will cost $10, and $15 for each additional female, while a kennel license 'will cost $25. • - Included in the new by-law, which overrules any other dog control by-law the town had, is a series of fines for owners who either fail to get a tag for their dog, falsely declare the sex of the dog, or let the dog run loose. All dogs caught running loose or without a tag will be impounded for three days, not including Sundays or holidays, and if not claimed, they will either by destroyed or sold, with the proceeds going to the town, The by-law will be enforced by Clinton animal control officer Dick Eisler, who holds a one year contract for dog control in town. Owners who are caught contravening the by-law could b,e convicted under the sum- mary convictions act and face fines ranging from $10 for a first offence to $50 for a more serious offence. A young girl, who was one of 17 spec- tators at the meeting, asked council why owners had to pay more for female dogs than male dogs, Several red-faced councillors tried to ex- plain that females had puppies, to which the girls responded that the male dogs Were just as responsible for the puppies as the females were. Councillor Bill Stauttener finally said that the higher fee for the females was to discourage the purchase of female dogs. In other business, council concurred with a resolution from Seaforth protesting the unequal treatment smaller towns receive grant from Willis Cooper of England, couldn't be put to use 'for senior citizens •lounge, There are about 600 senior citizens in Clinton according to an Ontario Housing Corporation survey, Council was also informed that demolition of two homes on King Street owned by the OHC will be demolished in March and construction of the new 21-unit senior citizens housing unit will begin shortly after the demolition. Mayor Don Symons wondered at the long delay in constructing the units. "They originally promised the units would be up and ready for occupation by this Christ- mas," he said. Council decided to send to either Bell Telephone or the town's lawyer, a request from Andrew Berg of Clinton who wants the town to pay $1,128 in damages for money he lost because he said his phone was out of order for 47 hours from Novem- ber 18 to Nov. 20. Mr. Berg said in a letter to council that the PUC was placing stakes and cut off his phone line with a boring. machine, and his business, Clinton Taxi lost money, Councillor Don Hall said that the Bell had located the buried cable before the PUC started excavating, and the cable tur- ned up at a spot it shouldn't have been. In.another letter to council, the PUC told them that the operation and maintenance account for the street lights should be paid monthly instead of yearly and the PUC wants a delay until January 31 on payment of the sewage surcharge which it collects for the town. from the ministry of the environment when it comes to setting up garbage dumps. Seaforth claims that small towns ,receive no grants, while large urban centres do. Council also agreed with a resolution from the Township of March who want the Ontario government to encourage the use of returnable beverage containers. Duff Thompson of Clinton was present and- wanted council to post an agenda at each meeting so spectators could see where they were going during the meeting. Council will ask the Clinton Police Department to carry out a safety check of all taxis in town four times a year instead of once. A $10 Christmas bonus was also granted to all town employees, and council voted themselves their sessional ,allowance. Council declared Boxing Day a holiday, and a building permit was issued to Dr. D. Palmer of Victoria Street for alterations, worth $400. Stanley to help volunteer firemen The Brucefield Volunteer Fire Depart- ment will be wearing new jackets shortly as a result of action taken by Stanley Town- ship council at their regular meeting last week. Stanley agreed to give the firemen a $500 grant towards the cost of the jackets. Tuckersmith Township will split the grant with Stanley. Grants were also given to the Huron Federation of Agriculture, and the National Farmer's Union, with the former receiving $400 and the latter receiving $100. Two sheep, which were killed by dogs,, (continued on page 7) Christmas deadlines set Winter Carnival okayed Tuckersmith hires new parks manager Dogs face tougher law Lucky car winner Harvey Ashton of Clinton (seated in bar) was all smiled on Monday when TuckerSrnith Township Reeve Elgin Thompson presented him with the keys to a 1975 Oldsmobile, Mr, Ashtoh won the car in the Vanastra Covered Pool Lottery which was drawn last Saturday, Looking on is Steve Brown of Lorne Brown Motors, where the car was purchased, The draw realized $2,400 profit, (News-Record photo)