The Citizen, 2011-11-17, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2011.Writer says Vodden represents his views
Showing off
Les Cook of the Blyth East Side Dance Studio was at Blyth Public School last week to
show the ladies of the Grade 7/8 class a move or two. Here Cook does the salsa with
Samantha Kerr. (Photo submitted)
THE EDITOR,
On Remembrance Day
11/11/11, I was able to attend
memorial services at Blyth
Memorial Hall for the first
time. And while the service
was about those who fell, and
for those who serve, there was
also a poignant moment
triggered by the junior
citizens of Blyth Public
School, particularly the 16
Grade 2 students who sang on
stage.
It was particularly moving
for me, a more-senior citizen
in the community, because the
audience was reminded also
that this would be the last
time students from Blyth
Public School would be in
attendance. And without
saying so, another tradition
about community, and its
importance, was being lost.
Why should any of this be
important to the people of
Blyth? Well many won’t
remember, but in July 2009,
Keith Roulston, publisher of
The Citizen,wrote two
particularly meaningful
editorials, among many others
on the subject.
In the July 2 edition of The
Citizen, he wrote: “The
communities of Blyth and
Belgrave were changed
forever last week when the
trustees of the Avon Maitland
District School Board
(AMDSB), acting on advice
of senior staff, passed a death
sentence on the Blyth and
East Wawanosh Public
Schools.”
Roulston reminded readers
that the Accommodation
Review Committee (ARC)
process had been deceptive
and proved a farce, and that
while local folks thought they
were dealing with an honest
and open process, “unknown
to them, the board’s staff had
already applied for provincial
funding to build a new K-6
school to replace the existing
schools.” Trustees, indeed.
Roulston went on to say in
a July 9 editorial, that “while
the short-term problem for the
Blyth and Belgrave
communities is loss of their
schools, the long-term issues
for these, and communities
like Brussels too, is to fight
becoming invisible.” The
editorial went on to say
“small communities are going
to have to fight to keep from
being invisible. It may mean
we must be noisy and
impolite. We cannot afford to
be complacent and watch all
our community infrastructure
lost.”
What got me thinking about
this even more intently was
the piece written by Denny
Scott in last week’s issue of
The Citizen, headlined
“Vodden questions Blyth
representation.”
Councillor Brock Vodden
does indeed represent my
point of view as a Blyth Ward
taxpayer when it comes to
this issue. Vodden has been
asking these questions
because we have, or should
have, been asking them all
along. I am not prepared to
wait 20 years, as Reeve Neil
Vincent was reputed to have
suggested to see the results – I
may not be here to see the
final nail in the coffin. I will
be here in the short term to
experience the economic
trauma it will bring. Nor do I
want my representative(s) on
council to simply accede to
the will of a majority, as
Councillor Bernie Bailey is
quoted as suggesting, since
I’m not all that confident that
Councillor Bailey
understands the total net
economic impact of this
decision.
Councillors like Mr. Bailey
cannot seem to understand the
‘cause and effect’ economic
questions being raised are not
about the new school- which
everyone in Wingham seems
to agree will bring some form
of economic/development
prosperity. It is about Blyth
Public School closing and the
community economic fallout
from that decision – it is about
property value decline, and
ensuing tax base impact
(which should be a concern to
the council). Someone will
have to pick up that shortfall.
I am also concerned that
councillor James Campbell,
who attended the ARC
meetings on behalf of North
Huron (and I presume Blyth),
may not be totally accurate in
his assertion (reported in the
paper and attributed to him)
either about Blyth student
movement to this new school,
and he
too misses the point about the
economic reality.
I didn’t join this debate
about the quality of education
in big or little schools, or
the fiscal prudence of
spending even more money
on a so-called declining
asset (enrolment), or
whether newer bricks and
mortar will improve student
EQAO scores, or whether
the AMDSB contribution to
the Sunshine List needs
expanding. As with the
AMDSB, it’s about the
money, for me – or more
accurately – how much I
stand to lose on my
largest non-taxable asset. My
home and property.
There are 408 residential
properties in Blyth according
to the Municipal Property
Assessment Corporation
(MPAC) – give or take a few.
The total assessed value for
property tax purposes is
approximately $56,000,000
(give or
take a
million).
So, if the
average property value is say
$138,000. then every
residential home/property
owner in Blyth stands to lose
something on the scale of
$21,000 (give or take a few
thousand). And that only
assumes a 15 per cent decline
in fair market value. I also
understand that impact is
already starting to be
felt.
The residential property tax
issue should be even more
disconcerting for the
Township of North Huron, in
that the shortfall will have to
be made up somehow. The
Chief Administrative Officer
Gary Long made a
commitment in open council
a year ago, when I first raised
this question, that MPAC
would be petitioned by North
Huron to re-assess property
values in the event of
significant decline caused by
the closure of the school. I
wonder if anyone still
remembers that commit-
ment?
So, what may have started
out as a very simple comment
and approach to a school
closing issue will become a
“rock and a hard place” issue
for Vincent and those North
Huron councillors elected on
a property tax containment
platform. One that so far, the
majority may have been
missed, being so enamored as
they all seem to be with
AMDSB.
As the famous Lily Tomlin
once stated: “I always
wondered why somebody
didn’t do something about
that, then I realized I was
somebody.” We all are....
Greg Sarachman
Blyth.
For the last month or so, you’ve had the
AC turned off, the space heaters plugged
in and the warm weather clothing stashed
in the closet. And with the fall leaves safely
on the ground, it’s a sure sign that winter is
right around the corner – and (gulp) so is
“Tougher driving conditions mean more
wear and tear on your tires, so it’s a good
idea to check your winter tires before
hitting the road – especially if they’ve
already seen a few seasons,” says Andrew
Horsman, Executive Director, Ontario Tire
Stewardship. “While its always important
to have a well-maintained set of tires on
your vehicle the difference in performance
can be even more dramatic in the winter.
Making sure your winter tires are up to the
snowy roads will help keep you safe all
season long.”
Driving slowly and more carefully is the
best way of staying safe in the winter, but
a well-maintained set of proper winter tires
is paramount to a smooth ride.
Tips for keeping your
tires rolling this season:
Put a lid on it. If valve caps are left off, the
moisture in the valves can freeze. This can
Stay watchful. Make checking your tire
pressure a regular habit. While this is
good practice all the time, it’s especially
important in the winter when air pressure
and temperatures are at their extremes.
Good traction is especially important in the
winter, and keeping in line with pressure
guidelines helps tires maintain their grip.
Be consistent. If you choose to use
winter tires, use them on all four wheels.
Inconsistent traction can be dangerous
and can lead to sliding and skidding.
Keep cool. Store your all-season tires in a
cool, dry place. Pile them up to four high,
but don’t stack them tread side down.
Replace and recycle. Part of safe winter
driving is knowing when your tires have
outlived their lifespan. Replace winter
tires every two-to-three seasons, and drop
off up to 4 used tires free at a registered
Ontario Tire Stewardship collector.
Collectors are stationed all over Ontario,
and drop off is easy.
Did you know? Ontario Tire Stewardship
helps roll old tires into green products.
Used tires can get new life as recycled
rubber products such as car mats, soaker
hoses, playground tiles, carpet underlay
Visit GreenMyTires.ca
@GreenMyTires
Space provided through a partnership between industry and Ontario
municipalities to support waste diversion programs.
How to cruise through
this winter season
Tips from Ontario Tire Stewardship
advertisement
Letters to the Editor
Get wedding advice and tips,
see a case study and read about
local brides on the
Brides in Huron section
of our website
www.northhuron.on.ca