HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2009-03-19, Page 1The North Maitland Educational
Centre of Excellence was put into
black and white last week as the
official recommendation by the
Central East North Huron
Accommodation Review Committee
(ARC) was made.
PUBLIC RESPONSE
On March 12 at Wingham Public
School, the last official meeting of
the ARC, the idea for an educational
centre of excellence was met with
unanimous support, both from the
ARC itself as well as members of the
public. This suggests a change in
public opinion since the previous
meeting on Feb. 12, when there was
support, as well as opposition.
Two different grandparents, one
affiliated with East Wawanosh
Public School and the other with
Wingham Public School addressed
the ARC as well as board trustees
teary-eyed, thanking them for the
work they have put in and urging the
board to “do the right thing” and
support the ARC’s recommendation.
ARC co-chair Mark Beaven, an
East Wawanosh Public School
parent, agreed that the process has
been an emotional one and the fact
that four communities are now
united in suggesting their in-town
schools be closed for the greater
good of area education truly says
something about the communities
involved.
“This has truly been an honour to
work with individuals who have
come together as one,” Beaven said.
“In the past this process has pitted
school against school and
community against community,
emotions run high and they run high
now, but our emotions now are more
positive than they have ever been.”
RECOMMENDATIONS
In addition to the recommendation
for the construction of a new school,
the ARC had several other
recommendations.
The first recommendation was to
not begin feeding students from
Grades 7 and 8 into the area high
schools.
As pointed out by one audience
member, with possible grade
failures, a proposal like this could
have students as young as 11-year-
olds mingling with fellow students
as old as 19.
Additional recommendations were
that the board close Wingham,
Turnberry Central, East Wawanosh
and Blyth Public School and that
Hullett Central Public School
remain open to its current roster of
students and continue to
accommodate junior kindergarten
through to Grade 8.
Another recommendation was that
the board authorize a steering
committee, to be made up of
members of the four closed schools
and affected communities to oversee
the design, funding and building of
the proposed new school.
David Sparling, Blyth Public
School parent, presented some of the
recommendations, insisting that
when it came to the formation of a
steering committee, this was a large
step towards maintaining the current
spirit of all four of the current
schools.
“Our group doesn’t want to lose
the rural nature of our school just
because it’s going to be bigger,” he
said. “We tend to get very involved
and do a lot of these things on our
own, so with this, we want to make
things happen on our own.”
Another recommendation was that
all unnecessary capital
improvements not required by law or
of a critical nature be cancelled for
the four schools being proposed to
close.
The ARC also recommended that
the four schools remain open until
the new school be completed. To
justify this suggestion, Sparling said
it would negate a second transfer for
students, which could be difficult for
them and it also could compromise
the current community support. If
one of the four schools close, the
proposal stated, it could fracture the
community support, which is
something the ARC as well as
parents and supporters from all four
schools have worked very hard to
achieve.
FUNDING
The potential funding for the new
state-of-the-art school was also
discussed. However, with the school
still not approved by the board and a
final location yet to be determined,
Beaven stressed that the funding
breakdown was strictly a mixture of
suggestion and positive thinking.
The projected cost for the school
is between $14 million and $16.6
million. Beaven factored in
government contributions, including
funds from the federal government
due to green projects and from the
provincial government for the
educational-nature of the building.
The proposed breakdown accounted
for $2.3 million from each level of
government.
Beaven also factored in
contributions from the Avon
Maitland District School Board, but
didn’t put a final figure on it, simply
stating that the new school idea will
save the board $2.6 million in
operating costs and $6.6 million in
scheduled repairs. Also factored in
were contributions from the
Municipality of Morris-Turnberry,
the Twp. of North Huron and Huron
County in the amount of $500,000
each.
Should everything go according to
schedule, the board’s final decision
should be made at the end of June.
However, if any problems arise, and
the process is delayed one more
week, the final meeting could dip
into July, which is the beginning of
summer vacation, which means the
decision could technically be
postponed until September.
Education chair Mike Ash,
however, said this matter is one that
is very important to the board right
now, and it will do everything in its
power to see that the matter is
resolved before summer vacation.
Bit of the Irish
Residents of Huronlea enjoyed a St. Patrick’s Day celebration with The Saints, a musical
group from the Listowel, Palmerston area. Steve Cook of the home’s activation department
trips the light fantastic with a music-loving resident, Eleanor Moreland. (Bonnie Gropp photo)
Eric Coates is dreaming big.
At a recent brainstorming session
with invited guests from the
community, Blyth Festival’s artistic
director outlined an idea to use the
resources available and rejuvenate
the economy.
“There have been comments made
about using these spaces we have in
the off season, the studios and the
workshops,” said Coates. “But most
suggestions we’ve had require
someone paying a significant user
fee and they have to be willing to use
them only when we’re not. There’s
no business model that makes
sense.”
A light went on, however, during a
recent conversation with award-
winning playwright Michael Healey.
“He is working on a script for us
right now at the Banff Centre and it
struck me that maybe this is what we
should be doing, creating
residencies for artists.”
Coates explained that writers,
artists, composers could come to
Blyth in the off season and use the
studios. “It takes them out of their
home environment. This is why
retreats are popular with artists
because it gets them away from
distractions.”
Though in the early stages, Coates
has a feeling that it’s the right time
and right place for the idea. “Given
that the manufacturing sector is on
life support in this area and the
agricultural economy has changed,
we have to find ways of bringing
other interests in.”
“I have a lot of ideas right now, it’s
far reaching, but the goal is to make
the Blyth Centre for the Arts, really
ARC makes final recommendation for new school
CitizenTh
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$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, March 19, 2009
Volume 25 No. 11SPORTS- Pg. 8PeeWee girls win YCW consolation NEWS - Pg. 10 Special guest tours Huron projectsNEWS- Pg. 7Wingham chosen for pilot projectPublications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 PAP Registration No. 09244 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0INSIDE THIS WEEK:
A North Huron man and woman were expected to make a court
appearance by video in Goderich yesterday (March 18).
The two have been remanded in custody on charges of conspiracy to
commit muder and counselling to commit murder.
While OPP were not releasing the names, a radio report stated that Serena
Benninger, 38, and Anthony Terpstra, 39, were behind bars following a bail
hearing on Friday.
They were arrested following an undercover police operation allegedly
involving a threat to Sheila Terpstra.
The investigation is ongoing, led by Detective Inspector Greg Walton of
the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch.
Pair to make court
appearance by video
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Coates has big plan
By Bonnie Gropp
The Citizen
Continued on page 3