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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2009-02-12, Page 7THE EDITOR,As you can imagine, I closelyfollowed the comments in last week's Citizen in regards to the accommodation review. Maybe, I am out in left field here, but my priority all along has been the kids. Specifically in this case the elementary school children, all of them, from kindergarten to Grade 8. I have three young children myself, and I for one want the best possible and safest education for them. I don't want them to have to settle for anything less than the best, especially because of where they live, or how much money I have. As demonstrated by the world wide economic crisis, we live in a world economy. As years pass, the children of today will be competing for jobs and careers against today’s children from all over the globe. My hope is that I am able to provide the absolute best possible educational opportunity to my children without disrupting their lives by moving, or placing unreasonable social pressures upon them. This is so that they can be leaders not only in their local communities, but around the world.Now this hope has to face some oftoday's realities. Whether it be fiscal or logistical, there are some challenges. That being said, one should never be afraid of dreaming big. Hence the reason the idea of the North Maitland Educational Centre of Excellence was developed. It answers the concerns that the board of education has due to declining enrollment in smaller aging schools. I believe it also answers the issue of a underutilized high school facility by increasing enrollment down the road due to increased enrollment at a world class elementary educational facility today. And keeping with the fact my number one priority is the children, the North Maitland facility clearly focuses on them. It protects our children's innocence by keeping them with fellow classmates of their same age groups that have the same ideals. In other words it doesn't put 11 and 12- year-olds in with 18 or 19-year-olds. It also provides our children with a world class educational experience in a state-of-the-art school. A schoolwith bright open classrooms, aschool with up-to-date science and computer labs, a school with music and arts programs, a school with modern athletic facilities to promote a healthy lifestyle, a school with an environmental focus, a school with so much more! To me, it is truly a win-win-win scenario. It is a win for the board ofeducation, because it addresses theunder capacity issue in both the high school and the elementary schools. It is a win for our communities, as it addresses the needs and wishes of the local citizens, as they have access to a top quality educational facility. It will attract people to our local area who want to gain the benefit of having their children taught in a facility such as the NorthMaitland Educational Centre ofExcellence. Lastly and most importantly, the biggest win comes to the kids. They receive an opportunity to learn that will last them a lifetime and will allow them to achieve their dreams no matter how big. Sincerely, Mark Beaven. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2009. PAGE 7.Letter to the editorBest and safest education key in decision Huron East treasurer Brad Knight presented council with the first draft of the 2009 budget at the Feb. 3 meeting with a little trimming left to do. Knight said, he wanted to concentrate on capital projects and the municipality’s general tax levy, leaving user pay and area-rated systems until later drafts of the budget. This includes streetlights and waste management, which are area-rated and water and the user- pay sewer charges. There were also several factors that needed to still be finalized, like the Huron County tax levy and exact figures for the funding Huron East will be receiving from the federal and provincial levels. There are several bridge projects and equipment needs that Knight calls “worthwhile projects” that council needs to evaluate as well. With all of these factors taken into account, Knight opted not to present a balanced budget for the first draft. Several projects have been injected into the budget, leaving the treasurer’s bottom line currently sitting at more than $1.2 million over budget. Knight says council will have to make some hard decisions in the weeks to come in finalizing a tax rate increase and discussing which projects need to be done and which projects can wait. “Everybody feels that the need is there and it’s going to be there for a few years to come,” Knight said. “It’s going to have to be quite the balancing act with a lot of projects needing attention this year.” Last year, Huron East allocated the gas tax funding it received from the federal government to the bridge reserve, which eventually went towards three projects. This year, Knight’s suggested projects carry an estimated price tag of $474,000, just under $160,000 less than the $314,534 which is expected in gas tax funding in 2009. In addition to the bridge work proposed for 2009, Knight also proposed the paving of a potential six blocks of roads throughout the municipality. Knight suggested two stretches of Beechwood Line, which is currently sitting at 15 years old, and segments of Summerhill Road, which is currently sitting at 14 years old. One other point of concern is the municipality’s aging vehicle fleet, both in the public works department and in Huron East’s three fire departments. In Knight’s first draft, $200,000 is allocated to a proposed new fire tanker (voted by Huron East fire chiefs to be Seaforth’s 33-year-old tanker) and just over $415,000 is marked for public works department equipment. Knight is also planning a $414,000 transfer from reserves for the Brussels Library project this year. Knight also listed several points that were not included in the budget for discussion. These include an annual reserve contribution toward the Vanastra Recreation Centre, an improvement in rural grass-cutting services, the possibility of Huron East entrance signs and different points on the municipality’s building needs study. Huron East council sees first budget draft Continued frompage 1 through the process and have listened to their proposals with very open ears. “We’ve done a lot with this, but we didn’t want to overwhelm them, but the trustees have noticed that our group has gone further,” Toll said. Newsletters are being sent out, e- mail lists are available and comment/suggestion boxes will be featured at upcoming ARC meetings for more information and the possibility of anonymous input. The remaining meetings are on Feb. 12 at East Wawanosh, Feb. 26 at Turnberry Central, then the final meeting on March 12, at a location that has yet to be determined. After the final proposal, the board will bring the suggestion to the trustees in April, who will make the final decision in June. A realistic proposal for the construction of a new “super school” would be over the next two or three years, Toll said. If the proposal were to go ahead, results would begin to be implemented in 2010, while construction would probably begin in 2011 and the school would hopefully be ready for the beginning of the 2012 school year. Currently, there are no proposed locations for the “super school.” Toll says the decision, ultimately, is not their’s to make. “To keep unity throughout the sub- committee, we haven’t proposed any locations, and we won’t be suggesting any,” she said. “Ultimately, it’s the board’s decision to make anyway. It’s really out of our hands.” Toll said trustees are listening By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Men, Take Control of Your Health • be a non-smoker • eat 5-10 servings of vegetables and fruit a day • be physically active • limit your alcohol consumption • use sun protection • follow cancer-screening guidelines Find out MORE about reducing your risk of developing cancer. Call us at 1 888 939-3333 or visit www.cancer.ca.