HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1977-03-17, Page 174.
HUNTING IN AFRICA — Game hunters in Africa featured one of the numbers at Saturday's carnival of the
Exeter figure skating club. From the left are hunters Jason McFalls, Matthew Wright, Trevor Cottrell, David
Josephson, Graham Arthur and John Van der Weil and the leopard Heather Prout. .
Property taxation report is
presented to Ottawa officials
T-A photo
MUNCHKIN GIRLS — A number of visitors from Munchkin appeared at Saturday's Exeter figure skating
club carnival. From the left are Kendra Arthur, Amy Bonthron, Tammy Bell, Tracy Rabbetts, Bridget Newton,
Sheryl De Boer and Jodi Chanyi, T-A photo
On three month holiday
Trustee seat in jeopardy
SPEEDY SKATERS A baseball game on ice was part of Saturday's
carnival of the Exeter figure skating club. Above, Patti Down and
Elaine Pym literally steal the bases. T.A photo
IN FROM SWITZERLAND — Appearing at Saturday's carnival of the Exeter figure skating club were these
girls from Switzerland. From the left are Julia Tieman, Kim Vanderweil, Susan Wareham, Ronalynn Bell and
Lee Ryan. T-A photo
TRUE CANADIANS — Happiness is being a Canadian was the theme of one of the numbers at Saturday's
carnival presented by the Exeter figure skating club. From the left are Monique Aunger, Kelly Vanstone, Lisa
Wright, Karla Josephson, Melanie Smith, Lynn Stephens and Michele Aunger. T-A photo
One Hundred and Fourth Year
March 17, 1977
Price Per Copy 25 Cents
Happiness was many things Saturday
at the annual figure skating carnival
Zhe elteferZinesatwocafe
Wingham school board trustee
Jack Alexander's seat on • the
Huron County Board of
Education was placed in
jeopardy last week after he
missed his third consecutive
regular board meeting. Mr.
Alexander has been vacationing
in Texas and was absent for the
January, February and March
meetings of the board.
At the January meeting the
board reveiwed Mr. Alexander's
absenteeism and voted to grant
him permission to miss two
meetings and to deduct his pay
for those meetings. The move
was not necessary according to
trustee R. J. Elliott who asked
that the board re-open discussion
on the subject, rescind their
original motion and pass another
granting Mr. Alexander per-
mission to be absent from the
three meetings. It is the third
year in five as a trustee that
Alexander vacationed for the two
month period.
Mr. Elliott cited the Education
Act states that a board member
who misses three consecutive
regular board meetings without
the board's permission shall
vacate his seat and also states
that a board member is granted a
leave of absence for two con-
secutive regular meetings
without the board's permission.
Another section of the act states
that the board may deduct a
reasonable amount from the
allowance of a member for
meetings missed.
The Blyth trustee said that a
board member does not require a
leave of absence to miss two
meetings and added that he felt
that 100 per cent of Mr,
Alexander's allowance is not a
reasonable deduction for the time
missed,
Director of Education John
Cochrane said the board would
have to make a decision on the
matter or Mr, Alexander's seat
would have to be deemed vacant,
He said the Wingham trustee had
planned to be at the January
meeting and miss only February
and March. A'storm delayed the ,
January meeting however and
Mr. Alexander had started his
vacation when the rescheduled
meeting took place.
Colborne trustee Shirley
Hazlitt said she was not so con-
cerned with Mr. Alexander
missing the meetings as she was
with the business held up due to
his departure. She said his ab-
sence from committee meetings • may delay beard business adding
that his allowance for the months
he missed should be deducted as
first decided,
Board Chairman Herb
Turkheim said that quite often
Heading the, list were; Lorrie
Baier of Mitcnell and Lloyd
Eisler from Seaforth, They skate
out of the Preston figure skating
club and won the novice pair
championships at three
competitions this year including
the Canadian title in Calgary,
Jeff Loosley, a brother of the
club pro performed a solo
number and also teamed with
Keith Baker another member of
the Woodstock skating club in a
comedy act.
Also making a guest ap-
pearance were Snoopy and the
Red Baron and their famoys
World War 1 flying machine, The
board members are absent due to
sickness and pointed out that the
member's allowance is an
honorarium based on a year's
service to the board.
Ashfield trustee Eugene
Frayne said that sickness and
vacation could not be compared
adding h.e felt that a year's
service to the board was 12
months not nine. He asked if the
people of Wingham knew Mr.
Alexander missed the time and if
they knew they were not being
represented at two or three board
meetings a year.
Herb Turkheim said he felt the
people of Wingham knew about
Mr. Alexander's absence and
showed their approval of his
performance by electing him to
another term on the board. He
said the Wingham trustee faced
some good competition in the
election and was voted in at the
top of the polls.
"They must be satisfied with
him," said Turkheim.
Under board policy adopted in
1975 the chairman's advisory
comedy pair portrayed by Jack
Underwood and Gaylen
Josephson handed out balloons to
the many youngsters in at-
tendance.
Members of the local club
appearing in feature numbers
were Debbie Peterson, Nancy
Underwood, Linda Elder,
Eleanor Salmon, Vickie Miller,
Club secretary Pat Down
appeared in the show as the
umpire in a baseball routine and
was chased around the rink by
several irate players after
making a "good" call at home
plate.
The excutive of the Exeter
board is charged with the task of
keeping a record of attendance of
board members at regular board
meetings and reviewing the
records to decide on any
deduction of allowance. Mr.
Elliott claimed that the policy
gives the task of deciding what
percentage of allowance
Alexander should be docked to
the committee and means the
board should not have been in-
volved.
Shirley Hazlitt said that under
the resolution the advisory
committee was given the
responsibility but suggested "it
hasn't been noing its job". She
said the committee should review,
the performance of every board
member regularly and asked that
it do the review now paying
particular attention to Alexan-
der's absenteeism,
Elliott said the only way he
would consider the motion is if all
members were treated the same.
The board recognized the need
for performance review and
passed the motion.
figure skating club is as follows:
president, Gaylen Josephson,
vice-president, Shirley Hart;
secretary Pat Down; treasurer
Marie Tieman; test chairman
Evelyn Josephson, badge
chairman Grace Adkins, carnival
committee, Ann Prout, Carolyn
Blackburn; directors, Jack and
Flo Underwood, Agnes Aunger,
Marguerite McLeod and Kay
Elder,
Participants in the various
numbers were:
Entertaining you--Carrie
Blackburn, Patti Down, Linda
Elder, Debbie Josephson, Teresa
MacDonald, Danette McLeod,
Vickie Miller, Debbie Peterson,
Elaine Pym, Eleanor Salmon,
Nancy Underwood.
Music-Krista Elder, Michelle
Koyle, Lisa Shepherd, Lynda
Shirray, Janet Mowatt, Laura
Wright.
r lying iures-scott Bierling,
Christopher Chanyi, Robbie
Elder, Jason Hern, Michael
Hoffman, Robbie Hoffman, Scott
Wedlake.
"If I Were a Rich Man"-Chris
McLeod, Dean Smith, Nancy
Underwood,
Living-Patti Lee Bierling,
Heidi Bonthron, Sandra DeBoer,
Shelley Horne, Tracy Oke, Pattie
O'Toole, Deanna Underwood.
An African Safari-Graham
Arthur, Trevor Cottrell, David
Josephson, Jason McFalls, John
Van Der Weil, Matthew Wright-
Leopard-Heather Prout.
"Here come de Fuzz"-Keith
Baker, Jeff Loosley-Woodstock
F.S.C.
The federal government should
pay more of the cost of marketing
milk to offset the levy charged to
provincial dairymen that has
reached an "intolerable level,"
Kenneth McKinnon, chairman of
the Ontario Milk Marketing
board told a meeting of the milk
producers in Clinton, last Wed-
nesday, March 9.
McKinnon, who is also
president of the National Dairy
Farmers, was the featured
speaker at the annual meeting of
the Huron County Milk
Producers. A crowd of 170 people,
one of the largest meetings in the
history of the Huron County Milk
Producers Association, heard
McKinnon blast the government
for the buildup of the $145 million
deficit that each producer helps
to pay off through the collection
of the levy.
The levy was set at $1.35 per
hundredweight of milk last year
McKinnon said. This year, the
government wants a levy of $1.33,
but he said $1.25 would be a more
reasonable figure.
The deficit is caused by the
difference in Canadian domestic
sales prices and the lower in-
ternational price, which is
currently 50 cents per hun-
dredweight lower than our own,
and has built up over the last
three years.
Compared to Canadian
dairymen, McKinnon said,
farmers in other milk exporting
countries are given larger milk
subsidies which allows them to
keep the international price low
and remove the financial burden
from the producers.
McKinnon said the OMMB was
asking the government for $15
million to help alleviate the
deficit, and the government was
prepared to look at the deficit
"with conditions,"
The producers do not favour a
government suggestion for a
national levy which would re-
establish the base of assessment,
"Ontario would have to in-
crease its share of the levy
because of its extensive liquid
milk production," McKinnon
said.
He expects the government's
direct subsidy to producers will
be continued with an increase in
the provincial share of the
national milk quota expected.
The milk producers operate
under federally set quotas which
forced the board to cut quotas an
average of 15 percent, making
1976 one of the toughest years
ever for producers, McKinnon
said.
"I think we may have cutback
a little too much in estimated
requirements," he said, adding
12 percent would probably have
been more tolerable,
Milk producers should reach 95
percent of their quota set for
them this year, McKinnon said
and predicted a $7 per hun-
dredweight fine would be im-
posed for people producing above
the quota,
Being in Switzerland-SOLO-
Linda Elder Ronnalyn Bell,
Leigh Ryan, Julia Tiernan,
Kimberley Van Der Weil,
Suzanne Wareham.
Being in England-Kendra
Arthur, Tammy Bell, Amy
Bonthron, Jodi Chanyi, Sheryl
DeBoer, Kelly Hern, Bridget
Newton, Tracy Rabbets.
Being a Wandering Gypsy-
SOLO-Debbie Peterson Sueanne
Adkins, Dale Armstrong, Brenda
Bell, Cindy Down, Karen Hart,
Janet Pfaff, Heather Prout,
Margaret Pym, Debbie Taylor,
Susan Tiernan, Patricia Willis.
Being Canadian-Michelle
Aunger, Monique Aunger,
Jacequeline Cottrell, Pamela
Cottrell, Karla Josephson,
Melanie Smith, Lynn Stephens,
Kelly Vanstone, Lisa Wright.
A Baseball Game-Chris
McLeod, Pat Down, Carrie
Blackburn, Pattie Down, Linda
Elder, Debbie Josephson, Teresa
MacDonald, Danette McLeod,
Vickie Miller, Debbie Peterson,
Elaine Pym, Eleanor Salmon,
Nancy Underwood.
Stepping Out-Sueanne Adkins,
Dale Armstrong, Brenda Bell,
Cindy Down, Karen Hart, Janet
Pfaff, Heather Prout, Margaret
Pym, Debbie Taylor, Susan
Tieman, Patricia Willis.
A Night on the Town-Carrie
Blackburn, Patti Down, Linda
Elder, Debbie Josephson, Teresa
MacDonald, Danette McLeod,
Vickie Miller, Debbie Peterson,
Elaine Pym, Eleanor Salmon,
Nancy Underwood.
He said he doesn't expect a
system of monthly quotas will be
applied this year, which would
even out the yearly supply of milk
production, but could be adopted
after several years of planning
ahead,
The OMMB is presently
negotiating a national dairy
policy with Minister of
Agriculture and Food, Eugene
Whelan. McKinnon expects the
19olicy will be set by the end of
+ext week, shortly before the end
of the marketing year on March
31. In 1976 the policy was not set
until April 14.
Outside of the quota problem,
low prices and the lack of
restraints on the production of
skim milk on the Common
Market, are the milk producers
worst problems, McKinnon said.
The glut of skim milk on the
world market is such, that if all
European countries lowered
production to meet home needs,
there is still enough in storage to
supply the European markets for
three years; he said.
McKinnon also noted that
cheese imports here are heavier
than in other countries.
"There is an increase of im-
ports allowed while we're forced
to decrease our production," he
said.
Meanwhile, Canadian cheese
exports are being curtailed by the
levies of the very European
countries that export their
cheeses to Canada, McKinnon
said,
Despite the problems facing
the milk producers, the OMMB
chairman did predict an increase
in the sale of most milk products
this year,
A two percent increase in the
sale of Class I milk, bottle sales,
is expected as well as a five
percent increase in cheddar
cheese sales. There is a hope that
cheese exports may increase
slightly, he said.
Specialty cheese like cottage
cheese and yogurt are also
predicted to face an eight percent
increase in sales,
At the other end of the spec-
trum however, butter con-
sumption will probably continue
to decline by five or six percent,
he said.
Following McKinnon's ad-
dress, the Huron County Milk
Producers re-elected six new
members to its milk committee;
Martin Baan, Grey township;
Stewart Steckle, Stanley town-
ship, J. C. Drennan, Ashfield
township; Boyd Taylor, Morris
township; and Hugh Litt, Howiek
township, All five men were
elected for three year terms with
Albert Whiting, Grey township
elected to finish two years of a
term left by chairman Eric Fink-
beiner on his retirement from
dairy production,
The meeting narrowly missed
electing Beatrice Seili, Grey
township, a milk producers wife,
who would have become the
Asseciation's first woman elected
to the committee.
The Commission on the Reform
of Property Taxation in Ontario
recently presented its report to
the government.
The 10-member Commission
under the chairmanship of Mr.
Willis L. Blair was appointed
May 6, 1976 to receive sub-
missions and conduct discussions
on the 15 tax reform proposals set
out in a paper issued as part of
the 1976 Ontario Budget. During
its deliberations, the Commission
held 51 public meetings in 30
locations throughout the
province, and considered over
2,400 submissions, letters and
deputations.
The Commission developed its
recommendations within a
framework of four principles that
basically support the govern-
ment's program of reassessing
all properties at market value
and requiring similar property
tax treatment for properties used
for similar purposes, regardless
of ownership or location.
In its more than, 80 recom-
mendations, the Commission
endorsed the government's
proposals to:
— tax residences preferentially
with an initial rate set at 50
percent of market value;
—redefine residential property
to include only residences and a
reasonable amount of land;
— levy a uniform mill rate on
residential and commercial
prppertles;
— levy a single business
assessment rate at 50 percent;
-- tax all publicly- owned
property, including that of
municipalities and school
boards;
- exempt churches,
cemeteries and Indian lands;
— allow a phase-in of taxes at
the discretion of the municipal
council;
— return the assessment rolls
and enumerate on a two-year
cycle;
— pool public property
assessment for assignment
between the public and separate
elementary school systems;
— apportion local government
costs on the basis of market value
assessment;
— use a consistent assessment
base for the determination of
assessment-based grants from
the province to local govern-
ments;
— extend market value
assessment to areas without
municipal organization;
— allow property taxes as an
allowable expense of grant
supported bodies.
Differing with the govern-
ment's proposals, the Com-
mission made recommendations
to:
— allow municipal councils to
grant tax deferrals for land used
for such recreational purposes as
golf courses, ski resorts and
camp grounds;
— allow a committee of local
elected officials to adjudicate on
the continued tax exemption of
charitable and non-profit
organizations within their
jurisdiction;
- exclude government ad•
ministrative facilities from its
definition of a business activity.
Recognizing the desire of the
farm community to pay what it
considers to be its fair share, the
Commission modified the
government's offer to pay 100
percent of the taxes on farmland,
farm buildings and managed
forests to 90 percent, Recapture
of the province's contribution
would not constitute a lien on the
property but would be a sur-
charge on the conversion of the
land for purposes other than
farming.
In order to ensure the con-
tinued contribution of private
schools to the diversity of
education opportunities in the
province, the Commission
recommended full taxation with
completely off-setting grants
from the province to the school
or, alternatively, equivalent
payments made directly to the
municipality by the province.
It was recommended that the
Ontario Property Tax Credit be
made more responsive to
property tax and income levels
and less responsive to age
criteria. The Commission,
therefore, recommended an
Occupancy Tax Credit which
would meet 90 percent of the
property tax at the low end of the
scale and take no account of the
age of the tax filer.
In presenting the Commission's
Report to the government, Mr.
Blair said: "I hope our recom-
mendations will form 'the foun-
dation for the government's new
system of property taxation in
Ontario."
Copies of the report may be
obtained free of charge at all
regional assessment offices,
Treasury, Economies and
Intergovernmental. Affairs
regional offices and the Ontario
Government Bookstore, 880 Bay
Street, Toronto,
Happiness was a lot of different
things to a lot of different people
at Saturday's carnival of the
Exeter figure skating club
presented at the Hensall arena
before a large crowd.
• The theme "Happiness Is"
provided a wide variety of en-
tertainment with all of the more
than 80 members of the club
participating.
The program prepared by the
skating club executive headed by
president Gaylen Josephson and
club skating professional Brad
Loosley was augmented by
several guest skaters.
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MIER
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Suggest government
pay more milk costs