Loading...
The Citizen, 2010-04-22, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2010. Business Directory D & J CONSTRUCTION Jim McDonald 519-887-9607 - COMPLETE MECHANICAL SERVICE - COMPUTERIZED TUNE-UPS - TIRES - BRAKES MUFFLERS - VEHICLE INSPECTION STATION DAN'S AUTO REPAIR Owned and Operated by Dan & Heather Snell RR 3, Blyth, Ont. N0M 1H0 (on the Westfield Rd.) DAN SNELL, Automotive Technician 519-523-4356 ELLIOTT NIXON INSURANCE BROKERS INC. BLYTH, ON N0M 1H0 519-523-4481 MEMBER OF HURON INSURANCE MANAGERS GROUP 5 Generations Since 1910 R. John Elliott Res. 519-523-4323 J. Richard Elliott Res. 519-523-9725 Randy Nixon Res. 519-523-4989 VANDRIEL Excavating Inc. Simon VanDriel 519-482-3783 We Dig For You Call us for... Excavators, Bobcats, Dozers, Trucking, etc. COMPLETE EXCAVATING CONTRACTOR Derrick VanDriel 519-522-0609 • Gravel • Sand • Stone We have solutions for your storage needs. Great for home, office & business. Ask for Ken at LAKESIDE 519-524-1740 Storage Solutions In stock used Pallet Racking, used decking steel & 4'x8' T&G fir plywood. Drop by and see our great selection of books. They make great gift ideas for any age! The Citizen 404 Queen St., Blyth 519-523-4792 541 Turnberry St., Brussels 519-887-9114 INSTANT FAX AS FAST AS A PHONE Send your paperwork by FAX instantly! eg. statements, contracts, auction ads, favourite recipes, obituaries, messages... The Citizen has a FAX machine in our Blyth office that lets you contact any other FAX machine in the world ... instantly. Our FAX number is also your number so if you want to be reached instantly — we will receive your messages as well. The Citizen Call Us Today For Details 519-523-4792 or 519-887-9114 Fax: 519-523-9140 “Locally owned & operated” P.O. Box 69 470 Turnberry Street Brussels, ON N0G 1H0 (519) 887-6100 Fax: (519) 887-6109 e-mail:dsholdice@himginsurance.com See histories and historic photographs on the Huron History section of our website www.northhuron.on.ca PAUL COOK ELECTRIC Home, Farm & Commercial Wiring BELGRAVE 519-357-1537 SUNSHINE COUNTRY CONSULTING ACCOUNTING & INCOME TAX SERVICES Ralph Watson 810 Turnberry St., Brussels, ON N0G 1H0 Bus.: 519-887-6011 sunctry@ezlink.ca New school to house kindergarten through Grade 12Having successfully (andsometimes controversially)introduced Grades 7-8 campuses on several secondary school sites – with a few more now in the process of being implemented – the Avon Maitland District School Board has now entered a new area of possible alternative school configurations: a proposed Kindergarten-to-Grade 12 school in Exeter. A proposal for the facility – for possible construction on the properties now occupied by South Huron District High School(SHDHS) and Exeter PublicSchool – is contained within areport delivered to trustees at aregular meeting Tuesday, April 13.Also included in the report are recommendations for the closure of Stephen Central Public School (R.R. 2 Crediton), Usborne Central Public School (on the outskirts of Exeter) and Zurich Public School, as well as the conversion of Hensall Public School into a K-6 facility. Trustees did not vote on the recommendations. Following a two-month period during which the public is invited to make delegations to the board, a vote isscheduled for Tuesday, June. 22.The recommendations arise froma process begun in September,2009 with the creation by the boardof the community-based Bluewater/South Huron Accommodation Review Committee (ARC) – charged with collecting public input and providing staff with information regarding possible school consolidation. The previous year, supporters of Usborne Central had succeeded in delaying a proposed consolidation that would have seen Usborne close; this time, trustees decided to include all five elementary schools in theBluewater and South Huron area,which has seen a steady decline inenrolment.In the staff report presented atthe April 13 meeting, a total of seven different scenarios were analyzed: two brought forward by the “Majority” membership of the ARC, three from solely the ARC’s Hensall representatives, and two from Avon Maitland staff. Importantly, administrative staff isn’t the only group recommending the K-12 Exeter option; it is considered in both the Majority ARC and Hensall submissions. “Zurich Public School is a school within the Avon Maitland District School Board,” the document states. “As such its future must be considered in the context of providing education to students across the district as well as the provision of education to students within the Zurich community. Zurich PS cannot be treated in isolation from the rest of the schools.” The K-12 recommendation is tied to when – or if – the board can secure provincial government funding. The report identifies Sept. 1, 2011 as the make-or-break date for pursuing staff’s preferred path. Details of the new facility aren’t completely ironed out in the April 13 recommendations, but “the elementary wing (of the new facility) would incorporate some of the existing Exeter PS facilities including the gym and possibly the Early Years corridor. Space within SHDHS would also be used for Grade 7 and 8.” “Enrolment projections predictthe requirement for 27 classroomspaces for this scenario. Assumingthat up to nine of these spaces willbe taken from the existingsecondary school and assuming that we can salvage a portion of Exeter PS, 10 additional classroom spaces would need to be built.” Most likely, securing funding will represent a more complicated challenge than the board has faced during other recent school consolidation processes. That’s because, during recent decisions to close schools and undertake new construction or major renovations in Goderich, St. Marys and North Huron, aging elementary schools qualified for replacement funding under the Ministry of Education’s former “prohibitive to repair” program, which no longer exists. As a result, two versions of the April 13 recommendations were presented. If funding is provided, Usborne Central, Stephen Central, Zurich Public and Exeter Public would close, with all Grades 7-8 and secondary school-aged students attending the new K-12 facility. That would include Grades 7-8 students from the Hensall Public catchment area. K-6 students from Zurich would relocate to Hensall Public. The public can register to make a public delegation to trustees during any upcoming regular meeting. The board aims to make it easier for area residents to do that, by moving an upcoming regular meeting, Tuesday, May 11, to SHDHS. By Stew SlaterSpecial to The Citizen Obituaries LYLE GORDON HART Lyle Hart of Wroxeter passed away at Wingham and District Hospital on Saturday,April 17, 2010 at the age of 79. He was the beloved husband of the former Shirley Newton and dear father of Patti and Bob Bradshaw of Wroxeter, Susan and Jim Collison of Kitchener and Diane and Dale Drumm of Smith Falls. He was the loving grandfather of Kelly, Peter, Kayla, Alicia, Nathan and Trevor. He was also survived by four great- grandchildren and by his brother Bill and Shirley Hart of Wroxeter. He was predeceased by his parents William and Evelyn (Hislop) Hart. Visitation was at McBurney Funeral Home, Wingham on Tuesday, April 20 from 2 - 4 and 7 - 9 p.m. The funeral service was held at the funeral home chapel on Wednesday at 2 p.m. with Rev. Jeff Hawkins officiating. His final resting place is Wroxeter Cemetery. Memorial donations to South West Community Care Access Centre or the Huron Perth Lung Association would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy. Online condolences can be left at: www.mcburneyfuneralhome.com ROBERT FREDERICK GEORGE MENSINGA Robert Mensinga of Brussels and formerly of Wingham passed away at Huronlea, Brussels on Thursday, April 15, 2010 in his 43rd year. He was the beloved son of the late Margaret and Gerry Mensinga and dear brother of Betty Ann Mensinga of Kincardine, Joanne and Zwerus Spek of RR2, Listowel, Geraldine and Adrian Spek of RR1, Atwood, and Ruth Mensinga of Goderich. He is also survived by 14 nieces and nephews and one great- niece. Visitation was held at the Eaton Funeral Home, Listowel on Tuesday, April 20 from 12 noon until the time of the funeral service at 1 p.m. Interment was in Elma Centre Cemetery, Atwood. Memorial donations to Muscular Dystrophy would be appreciated. Online condolences may be left at: www.eatonfuneralhome.ca