Clinton News-Record, 1979-05-30, Page 1tia
A full color party, led by Don Armstrong and Sam Castle, marched the in-
coming president of the ladies auxiliary Annie Sallows and the president of the
Clinton Legion Branch 140 Norm Lacroix into office on Monday evening. The
Clinton Legion was filled with guests and Legion members from Clinton and
Goderich as the installation ceremonies were performed by the Goderich
Legion Branch 109. (News -Record photo)
Businesses will be asked
114th year -No. 22
Thursday, May 30, 1919
35 cents
Weather
1979 1978
May Hi LO
22 17 0
23 18 4
24 19 7
25 15 6
26 13 7
27 14.5 5
28 16 6
Rain 26.5
H1 LO
20 1
24 7
25 11
26 8
28 10
30 12.5
30.5 12
No Rain
125th Fair planned as biggest ever
Everyone at the Huron Central
Agricultural Society has his or her
fingers crossed, hoping that the
dismal , dull, rainy weather of the past
week will clear in time for the three-
day spring fair that opens this Friday
afternoon.
They are hoping for excellent
weather to make this the best fair ever,
as not only are they billing it as the
largest Spring fair in Ontario, but this
year, the Agricultural Society and the
town are marking the 125 anniversary
oV the event, and have some extra
special events lined up.
Special attractions lined up for this
year include the visit by the Ontario
Revitilization group seeks aid
by Shelley McPhee
The Clinton Re-vitilization Com-
mittee will"be asking 100 businesses in
town to each give 7.92 per cent of their
business assessment to the Business
Improvment Area (BIA) project.
At a meeting last Thursday Noah
Zeeman's fact finding committee came
up with the percentage figure based on
the total business assessment of about
$135,000. If each business included in
the project area pays their share then
the BIA could produce approximately
$10,000 a year.
Mr. Zeeman explained that the
average business would pay a sum of
$150, while some would pay as little as
. ,...
"It all depends on the business
assessment, not on° the tax
assessment," he+noted.
_
With the necessary funding
established, a 14 member selling
committee headed by Bob Campbell
will each be contacting six or seven
businesses and explain the Bia
program and ask for their financial
support.
Once, all, or some of the money has
been raised a planning and goals
committee, headed by Mery Dill, will
suggest how the money could be used to
positively benefit the community. He
suggested that a general meeting,
involving all the businessmen and
interested citizens be held to get some
ideas. Then a long term plan for the
next three to five years be established.
Mr. Dill suggested that a plan be
submitted each year, telling what has
been done and what is intended for the
next year. Mr. Dill thought that some
sort of theme for the town should be
instigated and that the theme could be
carried through all promotions.
It was stressed that a liaison be
established with the various
associations and committees in town to
prevent duplication of effort and
communication.
"We're not working against the
businessmen, we're working with
Lucy dies
therm -committee secretary Faye Fear
noted. "They're (the committee) is not
going to overtake anyone else's
project. They want to get help and
support from the horticultural society,
the planning board, service clubs and
others.')
Bayfield's lady of words
The Bayfield community has seen
the end of an era. On Friday one of
the last members of one-
village's pioneering families died.
Lucy Rosamond (Woods)- Diehl
died in Clinton hospital on May..25at,
the age of'76.
Along with being a native of the
village, Mrs. Diehl was known to
every Bayfield resident as a former
correspondent with the Clinton
News -Record Her column, Ram-
bling With Lucy, was loved by many.
Mrs. Diehl was also an active
member of the Trinity Anglican
Church and her home The Hut was
the meeting place for many groups.
Mrs. Diehl was horn in Bayfield on
September 20, 1902, at The Hut, to
Dr. Ninian Woods and the former
Margaret Buchan.
She was educated at the Bayfield
T' `clic School and the Clinton
egiate Institute. She worked as
an assistant to her father who
became postmaster at Bayfield in
1917 and, after his death in 1933, she
and her mother carried on until 1947.
Mrs. Diehl was predeceased by
her husband Carl, whom she
married in 1960, and her sister Jean
"Welcome to Wetville" could be.
one of the signs that could be erected
at the entrances to Huron County
over the past couple of weeks, as the
clouds, rain, and cold temperatures
continue to hang around like a
persistent vacuum cleaner
salesman who has sniffed a potential
sale. Sure hope things clear up
before the spring fair opens on
Friday afternoon. Those ladies and
gents at the Ag Society have put in
some long hours getting ready for
what could be the best fair ever, and
I for one would hate to see their
attendance washed out.
-f-
Just as the wet weather has
. delayed the rest of the planting, and
the spraying operations, so has it too
stopped the lawn mowing operations
in the district. So we offer this
suggestion passed on by an
anonymous jokester who spotted
this sign on a front lawn: "Anyone is
welcome to use our lawn mower -- as
long as they don't take it out of the
yard."
+ + +
As well as being National Boating
Week next week, it is also National
Humor Week, and if there's one
thing Canadians need more of, it's
humor, so here's a couple'of quickies
before we lay the election to rest:
"Down in America, they tell a lot
of political jokes. Up here in Canada,
we elect them."
"A successful politician is one who
stands for what he thinks the voters
will fall for."
+ + +
It was pure coincidence, a national
soap company has assured us, that
several thousand bars of free
sarnples of a new soap were mailed
out in Clinton and area several days
after the town council pledged .to
clean up.
Greg Burns, a worker at the post
office, says it was the first time he
can recall having people come in .
and ask for junk mail.
+ + +
Do you have a colorful or beautiful
garden? Or do you know someone
that does? Well, let us at the News -
Record know about it, whether it be
big or small, or a spring or summer
garden. We would like to take some '
colored pictures of it. The pictures
would be produced in living color,
next spring, in our Garden Guide,
and the gardens can be located in an
area bounded by Bayfield,
Dungannon, and from Londesboro to
Hensall.
+ + +
Apparently, the new paging
system for the Clinton firemen is not
working out just as smoothly as it
should, and there have been a
number of false alarms on the
beepers, that the general public has
no knowledge about. It's all to
complicated to explain, but the
firemen assure us that the situation
is nearly ironed ofit and no one will
suffer because of it.
But it just reminds us that the
more complicated our lifestyle
becomes, the greater the chance for
a major mishap. Look at the crash of
that American Airlines DC 10 last
week, which killed 272 persons in-
stantly after an engine fell off during
take off. Apparently, all that holds
those engines on is three bolts, no
bigger around than my baby finger!
Makes you wonder, doesn't it.
+ +- +
The big event this weekend for the
Clinton area is, of course, the Spring
Fair but there are several items of
note, including the Lonuesboro Lions
newspaper collection nn Saturday
morning, starting at 9 am, and the
Huronview Blossom Tea next
Wednesday afternoon.
Middleton of Hensall.
She is survived by one near
ri 1at ve,.. het:.._n(Thew..Bob ..M,i.ddleton
of Wingham.
Funeral services were held on
Monda.y at._., the... Trinity. Anglican
Church with Canon F..H. Paull in
charge. Interment followed at the
Bayfield Cemetery. The Ball
Funeral Hone in Clinton was in;
charge of the funeral arrangements: -
The pallbearers included J.R.R.
Willock, Philip H. DuBoulay,
Patrick M. Graham, Harry Baker,
Stewart Middleton and Ewing
Buchan. The flowerbearers were
William Parker and Leslie Elliott.
(A full account of Mrs. Diehl's'r''life
and a tribute to her will be published
in the June 7th issue of t'- News -
Record )
Massed band on Saturday, when the
now famous 250 -member pipe and
drum band will participate in the
parade on Saturday, and will highlight .
the grandstand show that night.
The Ontario Mass band has
represented Canada at the Rose Bowl
Parade and this coming August, will
represent Canada in Scotland. The
Clinton Legion Pipe Band is part of the
Massed band, and it will be the first
time the Clinton band will be seen in
Clinton as part of the massed band.
Other special attractions include the
novel and interesting mini -tractor pull
on Friday night; skate board
demonstrations on Saturday and
Sunday afternoon by whiz kid Roger
Weidemann; and helieapter rides both
Saturday and Sunday.
And if that's not enough, the Lions
Club are running bingo on Friday and
Saturday evenings, well at the same
time, the Kinsmen will be operating
their popular beer tent under the
grandstand.
And for the kids, as well as the
midway, there's Old Macdonald's
Farm, the previously mentioned
skateboard demonstrations, and draws
for a 10 -speed Sekine bicycle, a
skateboard, a calculator, fishing
tackle, raincoat and a sleeping bag, on
Saturday and Sunday with only public
school -aged children eligible.
The usual ladies division, featuring
championship baking and sewing, will
occupy the upstairs at the arena, while
downstairs, the trade exhibits will
cover the whole arena floor.
The thiee-day fair will also maintain
its rural image as over $22,000 in prize
money will be given out to classes
ranging from the best apple pie, to the
best Nubian goat, to the top four -horse
heavy hitch on the grounds.
The show gets underway Friday
morning with judging of the 4-H dairy
classes, and continues almost non-stop
until the end of the exciting Western
horse show on Sunday afternoon.
A Goderich man, Tim Sheardown, has been charged with
attempted murder and dangerous use of a firearm,
following a 12 -hour seige at the Goderich Manpower
Centre last week. Here Goderich Constable George
Bacon, left, leads a sharpshooter from the London
Spring Fair once
The Clinton Fair started as a Fall
Fair in September 1854, and was held on
the Andrews farm. The Fair was
started by Messrs. H. Snell, Mr. Innes,
J. McMillan and Mr. Dale. The first
Clinton Brass Band played at this fair.
According to the Clinton Courier,
1862, .there was a showing of horses,
cattle, oxen, sheep, pigs, agricultural
implements, garden vegetables,
butter, apples, hand woven cloth,
knitting, embroidery, crocheting,
quilts, ornamental needlework,
braiding, hand -sewn hoots, assortment
of Cooper's Work, pumps, lumber
wagon, ploughs, harrows, straw cutter,
and fanning mill. All entries were
entered under the family name no
ladies names being mentioned,
At this time they regretted the
shortage of good cattle being shown,
but they were pleased at the large
number of pigs and sheep on exhibition.
In the sheep section the name of H.
(Humphrey) Snell appears as a win-
ner, and the name of Snell has been
noted ever since as breeders of fine
sheep.
In 1905 the Fair was reorganized by
James Snell, J. Fair, Dr. J. W. Shaw,
G. Hoare, and C.E. Dowding. The date
was changed from a Fall Fair to a
Spring Fair in the first week of April.
The Show was known as the Huron
County Sale and Stock Exhibition and
was held on the main street in the town.
In 1906 the president was James Snell
who retained this office until 1913. The
Honorary President, in '06 was Mayor
Hoover, with George Dale as vice-
president. The directors in 1906 were -
Thos. McMillan, John McFarlane,- R.
Grandm, John Johnston .and James
Fair.
In 1910 the treasurer James Fair
reported a bank balance of $168.82 in
the Molson's Bank. It was in this year
that the .group asked the ministry of
Agriculture to increase their grant, as
it had previously been $75 and the
government promised to see to the
expenses of Judges in connection with
Tactical and Rescue Unit to the scene. However, police
preferred to talk the man out of the building, rather than
shoot him. The accused is now at the Mental
Examination Centre in Penetanguishene. (Steve Cooke
photo)
the Fair. In 1911 the officers were voted
$5 each for their work in connection
with the Fair. A grant of $10 was made
to the secretary in 1912 for his services.
In 1913 Mr. A.J. McMurray was elected
treasurer to fill the vacancy of R.
Graham who retired. In the next year
Mr. McMurray assumed the post of
secretary, a position he held for a total
of 35 years in all. Mr. A.J. Tyndall
served for a few years as treasurer,
followed by Wm. Miller.
In 1920, it was decided to hold a
"Plowing Match" in connection with
the Society at some suitable place
adjoining the town. On April 1st, 1915 a
banquet was held in the Town Hall.
John Shannon was president from
1914-1919. Several times the Fair has
nearly been discontinued due to lack of
support and insufficient funds. In 1920
the secretary was instructed to write to
all the townships, urging larger grants,
as the aim of the Society is to increase
among the farmers a greater interest
At one time, the Clinton Spring Fair was totally
held on the main streets of town, and it wasn't until
1945 that it was moved to its present location in the
Community Park. This picture, taken in the 1920's
or '30's. show the horse show is full progess, while
older people chat in groups, and the young kids, as
they do today, are (looking for other pastimes.
(photo courtesy the Ontario Ministry of
AgrI utture and Food)
in agriculture, and the fitting and
showing of livestock. The Society feels
it has nOt been supported as whole-
heartedly as it should have been,In 1925 -
the County Grant - was $100 and the
Government granted $75.
It was through the efforts of Mr.
McMurray that the Fair was moved
from main street to the present
location in the Clinton Community
Park in 1945. The late A.J. McMurray
was general manager of the Fair Board
in 1946.
Presidents over the years have been -
Herb Cox, John McFarlane, Humphrey
Snell Wm. McEwan, James Leiper,
Frank Powell, W.H. Lobb, Ephriam
Snell, John Innes, Roy Pepper, Dick
Jacob, Wm. Dale, Joe Clegg, Melvin
Crich Sr., Thos. Leiper, Wm. Pepper,
John Deeves, Frank Falconer, Jack
VanEgmond, Jim Snell, Ross Lovett,
Elgin Thompson, Harold Lobb, and.
Elgin Thompson, George Colclough
and now Roy Wheeler. Bob Gibbings is
secretary -treasurer, at this time.
In the past years, there have been
ladies divisions at the fair that carried
on for 'A'- time then they were discon-
tinued. The Directors wives started to
assist the men by having a refreshment
booth behind the grandstand in 1963.
Mrs. Ross Lovett was Secretary -
Treasurer at that time. In 1968 a ladies
division to the Spring Fair was added,
being organized under the guidance of
Mrs. Lillian Grummet of Seaforth at
the home of Mrs. D. McLean. Mrs. Don
McLean was elected president, a
position which she held for four years.
Other presidents who have served are
Mrs. J. VanEgmond, Mrs. J. Snell,
Mrs. D. Middleton, Mrs. N. Dale and -
Mrs. T. O'Connell.
The Division started off with four
classes in crafts, six in sewing, four in
knitting and eight in baking. It has now
risen to 22 classes in crafts, 25 separate
classes in sewing, 15 in knitting and 18 in
baking. A junior section, an elemen-
tary section and a floral section have
been added.
The standard of the Fair has risen
from a Class C to a Class B.
In this year, 1979, Roy Wheeler
president, and the Cliq.ton Spring Fair,
one of the largest in this part of
Ontario, is celebrating the 125th year of
its organization. -Compiled by Doris G.
Batkin