Clinton News Record, 1981-05-07, Page 1Books and baking, beads and baby's breath were all part of the great bargains available
at the St. Joseph's Church Mini -Fair on Saturday afternoon. A book called Pop Rock
quickly caught the eye of shoppers Margaret Helpel, 12 and Devitt Doherty, 7. (Shelley
McPhee photo)
1 16th year:—No. 18 Thursday, M
Weather
1981
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1980
WI 10
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Education budget jumps 13.2% to $28.6rni11ion
Huron County taxpayers will have an
additional $38.71 on their education tax bill
this year based on an average assessment
of $3100,
That increase is based n an average
residential assessment in the county, tis:
supplied by the assessment commissioner,
and follows the Board of Education's
approval of a 1981 budget in Clinton,
Tuesday.
The new budget calls for total ex-
penditures of $28,630,287, an increase of
13.2 per cent over the board's $25,296,061 in
expenditures last year. That \�ntteans the
taxpayers of Huron will have to`contribute
$9,484,702 to the education system this
year, an increase of 19.1 per cent over the
$7,964,847 raised through taxes in 1980.
That means . the local mill rate for
education will jump 13.49 mills in 1981 to
105.93. On an average residential
assessment in the county the education
portion of the tax bill will rise from to $289
Seek $3.50,000
Hospital tea to kick of fund raising
May 12th is Florence Nightingale's bir-
thday and is marked every year by the
Clinton Hospital with a special event. That
is the day that the board of directors in-
vites anyone who is interested to come in
and have a look at the hospital facilities, go
on a tour, and enjoy a TripT fo fes served by
the Hospital Auxiliary in the boardroom.
This year, however, May 12th is going to
take on an even more special meaning as it
has been declared the official kick-off date
for the fund-raising project to help finance
the building of the new addition.
In an interview with Steve Cooke, chair-
man of the fund raising committee, he
stated that, "We're not trying to actively
solicit donations on this specific date.
We're looking at this open house as the op-
portunity for people to have a good look at
the facilities as they now exist, and talk to
key people about the upcoming expansion.
It's only after they understand the drastic
need we have for these updated facilities
that we want them to consider the amount
of the donation they would be willing to
make."
When asked what'the project actually in-
volves, he replied that, "Put simply, it's an
expansion and updating of the emergency
and out-patient departments and the. up-
dating of some obsolete equipment. What
it actually means is that under existing
conditions, if for instance we had a serious
car accident, only one victim at a time can
be actively treated. The rest just have to
wait their turn simply because we just
don't have the room to work on them. The
only other alternative is ambulance
transport to another hospital - and both
these situations could mean life or death in
a severe case. The new addition will make
all the difference in the world in our ability
to cope with these situations."
"One of the most common questions I'm
asked is if a center,the size of Clinton real-
ly needs such modern medical services..
The only reply I can give is that excellent
-health ` service is something everyone
hopes they never need, but when they do,
they need it awful bad. In a situation where
minutes count, a 50 mile drive to London
doesn't appear very attractive," Mr.
Cooke said.
"The other thing people have to keep in
mind is that doctors today are trained in
ultra modern facilities with the best equip-
ment available to the profession. We can't
expect these people to turn down practices
which enable them to use this equipment to
its full potential and come to Clinton to
work with equipment that was obsolete 10
years ago. I£ we want doctors, we have to
provide them with the equipment and
facilities to work with," he said.
Mr. Cooke reported that the actual cost
of the addition will run in the neighborhood
of $800,000. When government grants and
existing capital reserves are taken into ac-
count, it leaves $350,000 that must be rais-
ed by public subscription. Several major
donations have already been received and
the campaign has not really swung into
motion yet. It is expected the drive will run
for a full year and several methods of mak-
ing donations are being explored. The ser-
vice clubs in the area have already
demonstrated their wholehearted support
for the project, and it's hoped that the
general population will follow suit.
"All we ask is that everyone pause for a
moment and just think — if anything
o
Schools across the province are
holding Education Week and in the
area, one positive thing about this
celebration is all the plays that the
hardworking students have been
putting on.
Now much as I hate to leave my
warm house and cover all those
nightime events, after 10 years in the
business, I still feel inspired and
refreshed when going to those public
school plays.
I've been to three recently, and no
matter what they say about kids today,
they still work just as hard at
something as did all us old timers, and
their efforts are well worth seeing.
Whether it be The Jungle Book over at
the Christian School Alice in Won-
derland out a Huron Centennial or
Virtue and Justice Triumph Again at
Clinton Public School, to name just
three, they're just as well performed
today as they were when I was a kid.
+++
The big day is coming around again
as the three kids at our house Andrea,
Kris and Fraser, alias Screamer,
Terror and Hellionhonor their favorite
mother this coming Sunday.
Although they promised their dad
they would refrain from whining,
spilling food on the floor, and messing
their pants for one day, I'm not so sure
we'll be that perfect for the whole day.
Anyway, she's still their favorite
mother, despite all her yelling.
+ + +
A couple of other events worth noting
include the Hospital Day this coming
Tuesday, which is something special
this year, and the blood donor clinic the
same day over at Central Huron
Secondary School. We hope as many
:.eople as possible can take in both
events.
+ + +
The Clinton firemen were out twice
last Thursday morning, once at 4 am to
a minor furnace fire at Morgan's
Mobile Home Park, and again at 10 am
to a false alarm at Huronview.
+ + +
Those workshops being held over the
next four Wednesdays for Clinton's
official plan are being held at the arena
not the town hall as reported in last
week's paper.
+ ++
And speaking of planning, Klom^Qn
Feest is in full gear with the e
celebrations to get underway on may
22nd and 23rd. Be sure to be one of the
early buyers of your admission buttons
and tickets for Saturday night's bar-
becue. Hundreds of people are expected
to join in the Dutch styled festivities, so
let's be sure their visit to Clinton is the
first of many to come.
+ ++
P.S. e So you think this column's
Panda skimpy this week? Well you're
right, but I personally refuse to take the
blame.
This gol-darned age of modern
technology and computers has given
mankind, or at least this specimen,the
bum rap this week.
Unfortunately you'll never have the
opportunity to read the witty, profound,
humane, stirring, controversial, maybe
even award winning column I had
prepared. It's now sitting somewhere in
the insides of these computers they
make us type on.
Somehow the computer ate a good
portion of my column, just before
deadline of course, and I can truly say
I'm stuck for words. Mind you 1 have a
lot to say about computers
now.... !$&0?$ !ea'
drastic happened to me or any member of
my family, how much would good modern
facilities be worth to me? ! ", Cooke con-
cluded.
to $328.
The biggest chunk of the budget, 71 per
cent, is labelled for salaries and benefits.
The salaries and benefits for teachers and
administration amounts to over $20 million
for 1:;1.
° The other big items on the expenditure
side include $2.4 million for plant operation
and maintenance and $2.3 million for
transportation.
This year, debt charges on debentures
and interest on operating loans will
amount to :3,336. So while the overall
expenditure rose by 13.2 per cent the
amount raised through taxation will go up
by a whopping 19 per cent.
Several municipal and township clerks
attended the budget meeting and Dlrecotr.
of Education, John Cochrane outlined the
budgeting procedure for 1981. He indicated
that much of the increase in education
taxation is due to a reduction in the per-
centage of provincial grants.
In 1975, provincial grants accounted for
76 per cent of the elementary school
budget and that has steadily declined to 68
per cent last fyear. In the secondary panel
the story is much the .same. Provincial:
grants in 1975 covered 76 per cent of the
cost and fell to65 per cent in 1980.
Cochrane also explained that declining
enrolment has limited provincial grants.
"Money from the province is based on
the number of students and with declining
enrolment the grants have fallen off," he
said, "The provincial spending ceilings
have fallen behind price increases."
The board's committees did make cuts
from original budget estimates and one of
the major deletions was $75,000 that was
removed from a proposed teacher sick-
ieave 'grstiiity fund. Cochrane nadd that-
accumulative sick -day pay for teachers
with more than 12 years experience would
amount to$3.3 million.
Despite a warning from the auditors to
establish a reserve fund, the board decided
to wait on the reserve fund and delete the
$75,000 from the budget.
A separate motion was also passed to put
a freeze on hiring in the elementary panel
until the pupil -teacher ratio reflects
limitations set out in the collective
agreement.
The board also delayed the phased
implementation of special education in-
struction as outlined in Bill 82. A special
education program is in place in the
•
county, but the board has until 1985 to
bring that up to Bill 82 specicications.
In reviewing the overall budget, ef-
fectively, the cost of instruction per pupil
has risen by 17 per cent over last year.
Eneoiment is decliining. by a rate of 2 per
cent -per year and teacher's salaries were
up by an average of 15 per cent.
Board vice-chairman, Bert Morin said
the cost of education will continue to rise
until something is done to broaden the
industrial tax base in Huron County.
"People have to stop paying Hp service
to getting industry in this county," he said.
"We need more industry and more people
to carry the tax load."
The board briefly touched on a different
method of collecting taxes but Cochrane
said a decision on whether the board will,
collect education taxes more than twice
yearly, will be made in the fall. More
frequent collection would save the board
about $250,000 annually in interest and
carrying charges.
Clinton Council to keep
LACAC committee alive
By Shelley McPhee
Following a request from the Local
Architectural Conservancy Advisory
Committee (LACAC), Clinton Council has
linton to help Kinburn Foresters
By Shelley McPhee
After a month of consideration, Clinton
Council has agreed to offer their financial
support to the Kinburn Foresters.
At their May 4 meeting, council ap-
proved a motion to donate $200 to the:
Foresters, who are presently rebuilding
that council had in fact offered their
financial support to other communities in
times of need, pointing .out that in the past
the town had given donations to areas who
had suffered from fires, tornadoes, floods
and other disasters.
"Volunteer organizations help the
the Kinburn hall which- was recently .e , Ne,epenmunity and we should -help -them,"
destroyed by fire. Councillor • Rosemary Arrnstfeng • ?lupi'
Council had earlier been concerned that
such a move would be precedent setting,
and they would be required to support
similar causes in the future.
. "This isn't something we've been
doing," Reeve Ernie Brown noted, "Will it
start something?"
However, Councillor Ron McKay noted
Ported.
Magor Chester Archibald also noted that
he `had "sentimental leanings" towards
the Foresters for the support they gave
Huronview when Mayor Archibald was
administrator there.
In other business, council agreed to hire
Stephen Krossman as a summer student to
help prepare the town's official plait. A
third year student in environmental
geography at the University of Western
Ontario, Mr. Krossman will be paid $180
per week effective May 4. He is working
under a special summer helia program in
which the provincial government pays for
75 per Fent of his Salary, and the townpays
. t eremainifg25percent� "
A motion was passed to have the PUC
install 11 new street lights on Clinton
streets. Eight lights will be placed on
North Street and three more on Queen
Street, at an estimated post of $3,000.
Council also agreed to have the PUC look
Turn topage3
County approves Bayfield condo
Huron County Council approved an
amendment to the county's official plan
providing for a 76 -unit condominium
development on Bayfield Concession just
north of Bayfield, when they met April 30.
The amendment changes the land use
designation and sets forth policies for the
development of the area for con-
dominiums.
The developer R. Peever of London pro-
poses a three-phase development. Each
phase consists of six groups with four lux-
ury townhouse condominiums in each
group. The condominiums will be sold and
will likely be used as summer residences.
The development will have its own recrea-
tional facilities including swimming pool
and tennis court, en,
The land use deitiagnation will be changed
from rural residential to urban. The
amendment points out that when the
Secondary Plan was prepared, the area
adjacent to the village of Bayfield was
designated for low density residential
development.
Recreational development in the
Bayfield River for marinas and
associated commercial development had
led to the opportunity for higher density
resfdcntial development in the toren of tow
rise condominiums. Although the amend-
ment allows for a density increase over the
existing allowable density, the permitted
density of six units per gross acre is low
enough to be in keeping with surrounding
development.
The design and landscaping will also
serve to keep the development to a
"village scale". The organization of the
development as condominiums indicates it
will not unduly impact on the Bayfield
housing market.
There are several site concerns which
were outlined to county council by county
planner Gary Davidson.
The most contentious is surface and sub-
surface drainage. The problem, according
to Davidson, is whether the faster
drainage created by the development will
cause increased erosion on lakeshore pro-
perty at Jowitt's Grove. The developer
proposes to build a storage pond which will
slow the runoff of water and decrease ero-
sion.
County council recommended that
drainage provisions be ensured by placing
the area under site plan control and a
development agreement with the
Township of Goderich be entered into to
Big Brothers seek to
re-establish in Clinton
The Big Brothers Association is hoping
to get re-established in the Clinton area
again, and is seeking volunteers to help
with young boys.
Jim Mulhern, president of the Goderich
and District Big Brothers Association, said
last week there are eight boys in the
Clinton area who need Big Brothers.
Usually the boys are fatherless and the
companionship and example of an older
male adult.
"It only takes two or three hours a week
and any male from 18 years and up and
even senior citizens can be Big Brothers,"
Mr. Mulhern said.
Currently, the Goderich and district
branch has seven matches going in
Goderich, but was asked by some Clinton
area people to expand into this area, since
the Clinton district branch, which stented
in 1978, really never got off the ground.
June Tomkins -Lee and Bud Walker of
Clinton are now on the Goderich and
district board.
"Our volunteers are all just everday
people," Mrs. Tomkins -Lees stressed,
"you don't have to be a professional to be a
Big Brother."
"They can be from the outlining areas
like Bayfield, Brucefield, Varna, Lon-
desboro, Blyth, as well as Clinton and
Vanastra,"she said, "and we would like to
get more volunteers before the summer
holidays start," Mrs. Tomkins -Lee added.
"It's just a casual relationship, but it
really helps the boys," she stressed.
Mr. Mulhern said all the volunteers are
screened first and then matched with a
boy. He also said the Goderich branch
would likely also change their name to the
North Huron Big Brothers to more ac-
curately reflect its coverage area.
Anyone who is interested in being a Big
Brother is asked to contact either Mr.
Mulhern at 524-7878, or Mrs. Tomkins -Lee
at 482-9320.
control the servicing and staging of the
development.
Bayfield reeve George Fellows tabled a
motion to clarify the agreement with the
Township of Goderich asking that the
agreement include the assurance of proper
surface and subsurface drainage accor-
ding to stipulations of the township
engineer. Fellows said he trusts the
township engineering firm B. M. Ross and
Associates will protect the interests of the
Bayfield residents at Jowitt's Grove.
agreed to re -appoint members to serve on
this board in Clinton,
Not included in the previously passed
bylaw, which appoints town represen-
tatives to various committees and boards,
former LACAC members approached
Clinton -council on May 4, asking council to
re -consider the group's formation for 1981.
Former member Jim Hunter explained
to council, "We want clarification that
LACAC still exists so we can carry through
preserving the architectural heritage of
our town."
Council agreed to appoint the committee
. for the present year and members will
include, chairman Heather Hunter,
treasurer Helen Tench, Jhn Bunter, Doris
Batkin, Calvin Jervis Bess Fin r.� each
yeervl tg. one *dein I
Fisher, Gerry Fremlin, Clarence
Denomme, and Councillor lion McKay,
each serving for 1981 and 1982.
Council also passed a motion giving
LACAC a $200 budget for the year, a small
portion of which will pay for expenses
from a recent seminar on Huron's
Heritage, held in Seaforth.
Mrs. Hunter reported to council that this
year LACAC plans to ask council to ap-
prove the designation of six buildings in
the town as historically valuable struc-
tures. She explained that owners have
consented to this special designation which
would protect the architecturally
significant buildings from major design
changes, renovations or possible
demolition
In Clinton, five residences and one
business have already been chosen by
LACAC to receive the designation and the
group will now prepare briefs on each
structure and present them to council for
the town's approval.
Similar designation and protection of
Turn to page 3 •
CHSS girl's poem wins
all -Ontario, now to national
A poem written by CHSS student, Rachel
Batty has won all -Ontario competition and
now qualifies for the Dominion level of
competition where it will vie for top honors
with the winning poems from the other
nine provinces.
The poemwhich was written as an
English assignment for the Clinton Legion
Remembrance Day contest has, now won
the Branch, Zone, District and Provincial
levels. The latter took place in Toronto in
late April.
Rachel's poem now faces the nine top
poems from the other provinces. Judging
for that competition will take place near
the end of May. Prizes for the winners in-
clude a trip to Ottawa where the authors of
the country's top poem and essay will read
their works on national television,
November 11,
In winning the four levels of competition
Rachel has earned $170 in prize money.
Along with this she will be presented with a
plaque bearing her naran at the CHSS
awards assembly late in June.
When asked what inspired her to write
the poem Rachel found it diffficult to
answer but she did comment that it took
her an entire weekend to write it.
Congratulations to Rachel on her ex-
cellent performance! CHSS should be pro-
ud to have such a talented poet among its
student body.
Remember
by Rachel Battye
Cold November winds sweep
the fallen leaves
around the feet of the silent watchers
Remember
when they dung
young and strong, vying with each other
tor tneir place in the sun?
How like
the fallen leaves are those we nourn
cut off from the sap
as they reached their prime!
Eyes once shining
with joy of youth
grew dirn,
grew blind,
gazing emptily into the wasteland.
Each spring
the trees bear fruit again,
accepting
the inevitable death of her children.
Is this the fate
of human love
to create young men
destined to die in war?
Rachel Batty
i