The Day After Halloween in Almonte –1979

CLIPPED FROMThe Ottawa CitizenOttawa, Ontario, Canada02 Nov 1979, Fri • Page 43

1979— Ottawa Citizen

ALMONTE Officials from Arnprior to Pembroke say senseless destruction is fast becoming a new valley sport. Chronic vandalism of the type seen in Almonte Halloween night is reaching epidemic proportions, especially in towns without a local police force. In Pembroke, police Sergeant Versil Young said a report and slide show is being prepared by police on the subject an attempt to graphically illustrate the thousands of dollars damage done in recent months. “We’re investigating one case where vandals broke into a house under construction. We think the damage is about $5,000. They did $1,000 to $1,500 damage to the doors of the house alone. And then they threw paint all over the stained wood exterior.” The report blames parental indifference, citing cases of tire-slashings, rocks through windows, a vehicle pushed into a river and other instances of damage to homes. Smaller towns and villages depending on the Ontario Provincial Police for protection are also experiencing sharp rises in vandalism, and extra constables are being hired on weekends in some communities. Other communities outside the Upper Ottawa Valley, however, say they have vandalism in hand. “We have a problem, but . . it is not of major proportions,” said Kemptville Mayor Harry Coulter. Vankleck Hill Mayor Aurele Fournier and Carleton Place Mayor Ted LeMistre echoed Coulter’s statements.

“Vandalism here is a very minor problem,” said LeMaistre. We have good co-operation between police and teenagers.”

Fournier said there is “really nothing serious” in Vankleek Hill, adding everyone knows everyone else and people work “for the good of the community.”

But in Almonte today the intersection of Mill and Bridge streets bears post-Halloween battlescars of 200 masked teenagers who pitched rocks, paint, bottles, pig manure and eggs at the storefronts. A bulldozer had to be used to remove what one policeman called “one hell of a mess.” “There is really nothing serious here,” saidTom Baker is considering boarding up his store next Halloween or “clobbering the kids responsible.” He has to replace two large windows and the door at his combination jewelry and florist shop.

He shakes his head in wonder at the police and parents who condoned the annual event to the extent that they watched the rampage from cars parked nearby. The conclusion of the kids interviewed in the school yard? “A great time was had by all.” Baker and his business neighbor George Charos who closes his restaurant early every Halloween and flees the neighborhood say they haven’t actually filed a complaint with the local OPP detachment Concedes Charos: “We depend on the town” for business.

According to Almonte High School vice-principal J.L. Bridge, none of the rabblerousers are his students. Bridge didn’t go near the downtown area Wednesday evening. Handing out candy to the children in his subdivision was a “beautiful experience,” he said. Several students milling around high school corridors Thursday openly admitted that although the uproar may have been “a little extravagant at least it was something to do.”

Students say everyone contributed to the event-farmers made their pig manure and chicken heads available and young people poured it into baggies so it could be hurled. For most of the yougsters interviewed, the real problem is boredom. “We don’t have a pool and we don’t have a theatre; and there is a $1 cover charge to eat at the Superior restaurant,” said one student “If we only had a bowling alley, or something …”

Jack Mundcn, who heads the OPP detachment agrees: “The municipality should be providing something else for the youth to do.” He said the best the police officers can hope to do is contain all the activity “if we dispersed the crowd it would move into the suburbs.” “They are all wearing masks. You can’t arrest them, or charge them with disturbing the peace. The law says you can only ask them their names, you can’t ask them questions unless parents or a lawyer are present Mundcn said the appointment of another police officer is imminent “but even if we had 10 cops ‘-would you get out of your car in that crowd?”‘

CLIPPED FROMThe Sun TimesOwen Sound, Ontario, Canada02 Nov 1979, Fri • Page 14

Your description of the town of Almonte on Halloween last was one of the examples of irresponsible journalism that leads people to lose all trust in the printed page. It may sell papers in Ottawa, but it does little credit to your paper in this Valley town. There were not 400 masked rowdies on main street! The police tell me there were 73 at most and not masked rowdies. There were no hordes of parents cheering them on to further destruction: in fact the streets were clear by 11 p.m., and the police report one of the quietest Halloweens on record.

There were some of the traditional hijinks of that particular night a bonfire in the middle of the street (carefully watched by members of our fire department), and the throwing of eggs. There was damage to four store windows, and that is certainly not acceptable but I would point out that this was all localized to one part of main street. The rest of the town was quiet, with no reported incidents.

Rev. Harry H. Brown St. Paul’s Anglican Church Almonte, Ont.

CLIPPED FROMThe Ottawa CitizenOttawa, Ontario, Canada17 Nov 1979, Sat • Page 7

Almonte Gazette November 1,1979

A handful of irresponsible youths managed to give Almonte an enormous black eye in the Ottawa press last week as a result of damage caused on Halloween night. The usual Halloween shenanigans such as egg throwing and the lighting of a bonfire at the corner of Mill and Bridge streets got out of hand about 11:30 Wednesday night when windows were smashed in four Mill Street businesses and paint was splattered on at least two store fronts.

A crowd of youths, estimated at its peak about 11 o’clock at 50, quickly scattered following the window breaking incidents and the scene was practically deserted when police showed up moments later. And so ended a night of Hallowe’en vandalism that was widely reported by an Ottawa newspaper and a television station. Town Clerk, Bob France even received a telephone call Thursday from a Halifax radio station inquiring about the reports of damage.

Even though the reports were blown way out of proportion, it does not diminish the seriousness of the situation. Property damage was estimated at $2,000. Windows, including plate glass were broken in Baker’s Jewellery and Flowers, the former Milady Beauty Salon next door,Morton’s Variety and the Superior Restaurant.

Baker’s and the Superior always seem to be in the line of fire and the owners are totally frustrated over the endless stream of vandalism to which they have been subjected. An 18-year-old was charged Monday with willful damage inconnection with one of the incidents, according to Almonte O.P.P. No names have been released as similar charges are pending against other persons.

All officers of the Almonte O.P.P. detachments were on duty Halloween night, along with members of the Almonte Fire Department who were called out on seven occasions to extinguish fires.

The most serious of these destroyed a barn at the farm of Clarence Timmons at Lot 27, Concession 12, Ramsay Township. Also lost in the blaze were 1200 bales of hay and disc harrows. The alarm came in about 11:20 Wednesday night. Old tires were set on fire at various points in town and firemen extinguished a blaze that was started in the front seat of an older model car parked at the back of Smithson Motor Sales on Mill Street. A wooden garbage bin, apparently removed from the back of a Mill Street building, added fuel to the tires and other refuse that created the bonfire on Mill Street.

Youths began gathering at the “pool room corner” about 7:30, as they almost always do on Hallowe’en, in anticipation of the battle of eggs, tomatoes and other missiles that get thrown at almost everything that moves in that area on Halloween.

Strangely enough, all of the damage and mess was confined to one small area. Most of the other businesses on Mill Street were left untouched. One thoughtful person even brought several bags of hog manure as ammunition this year. Much of it found its way into police cars, fire trucks and store show windows before the night was over.

The Fire Department vehicles didn’t escape unscathed. An egg striking one of the trucks removed paint and lettering from a door and an auxiliary tanker owned by Drummond Bros, and loaned to the Fire Department was bombarded, resulting in a cracked windshield. Damage was estimated at $400. Town work crews were on the job early Thursday morning cleaning up the mess.

Visitors to the Fairview Manor… 1979

November 28,1979 Almonte Gazette Page 1

A local teenager has been charged in connection with the vandalism that occurred in downtown Almonte last Halloween night. Charged with causing wilful damage is Steven Arthur Maynard, 18, of 132 Queen Street. Police say the charge arises out of an incident Halloween night in which paint was thrown on two Superior Restaurant windows.

In addition to the usual Halloween hijinks this year, such as egg throwing and the lighting of a bonfire at the corner of Mill and Bridge Streets, windows were smashed in four Mill Street businesses and paint was splattered on at least two store fronts. It was reported at this month’s town council meeting that it cost the town $170 to have the Hallowe’en mess, left behind by the approximately 150 young people who congregated at the pool room corner, cleaned up.

The 170 dollars does not include the cost of repairing those store fronts damaged during the Halloween madness. The damage was estimated at about $2,000. The Almonte Lion’s Club have set up a committee to look into the possibility of holding a major dance next year on Halloween night to give the teenagers something to do for excitement other than standing on the street corner. The president of the Lion’s Club, Carl Sadler, said the club would like to make it a town project involving other local groups and organizations. He said the club will need the support of the other organizations to be able to afford a good drawing band to attract the teenagers.

The spirits of Halloween roamed freely in Almonte this week, but for the most part they were the spirits of youth and goodwill. The half-anticipated destruction that took place last year, in which store windows were broken, a car burnt, and an unruly mob tyrannized Mill Street, never materialized. Apart from a few isolated incidents of soaped windows, paint splashed on cars, this Halloween was one of the quietest Almonte has seen for several years. Five members of the Ontario Provincial Police were on duty that night, with two police cars cruising the town. Corporal O ’Connor, on duty in the police station that night, did not receive any requests for assistance. Four firefighters also remained on duty at the fire station, while others also cruised the town Some incidents of vandalism were reported, however.

The window in the door of the L C B O outlet on Queen Street was broken, to the tune of about $175. Someone kicked and damaged a storage shed at Becker’s on Ottawa Street. Police said the damage, which was repairable, was not serious. The front window of the house owned by Almonte high school principal Douglas Kilpatrick was also broken, at an estimated cost o f $165. The front window of Baker’s

Jewellery store on Mill Street was also cracked. Several youths caroused around town, tossing eggs and apples, and sawdust.

A number of small bonfires were lit, and at the corner of Mill and Bridge streets, a small group lit smoke bombs made of saltpeter and sugar. Meanwhile, the community dance, featuring the rock band *Metagenesis, entertained about 350 youngsters throughout the evening at the arena hall. Sponsored by the Lions and Civitan clubs, the town o f Almonte, and the Business and Professional Association, the event was organized by high school student Cherri Campbell. It remained the centre of activity for most of the evening, breaking up finally about 2 am. November 1980

*METAGENESIS were a Canadian Hard Rock quartet formed in Arnprior, Ontario in 1971. Read more here.. click