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The Citizen, 1989-02-08, Page 1Wedding bells 20-page bridal section included Opposition builds Farmers press politician to oppose Rails-to-Trails See page 6 Wbhmhmkmmbkh Early start f h Brussels Playschool a happy , environment „See page 5 VOL. 5 NO. 6 WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 8, 1989.45 CENTS Huronview plans affirmed by county Despite a chance for second thoughts and the news that predic­ ted costs have soared. Huron County Councillors Thursday de­ cided they still support the building of a three-site Huronview. In a recorded vote the margin was 26 - 3 in favour of continuing the project. County councillors were given more accurate cost estimates on three different scenarios for Huron­ view which ranged from going through with the proposal approv­ ed by council last year to build a new 100 bed facility at the present Huronview site plus a 60-bed unit later in the north end of the county and a 60-bed unit later still in the south, to renovate the old building for 218 beds including the south wing of the building which was originally closed, to a revised renovation which would provide 186 beds and exclude the south wing, but include a 40-bed unit in the north and a 40-bed unit to the south to be built later. The first scenario, for an entirely new, three-site Huronview will be the most expensive, costing an estimated $14.3 million not count­ ing the cost of land acquisition for the north and south locations. Since the province pays half the cost the project would cost county taxpayers $7.15 million or $893,750 over each of the next eight years. Total cost for renovating the original Huron­ view' would be $8.9 million and the Continued on page 39 Auditors asked to explain cost The firm auditing the village of Brussels books will be asked by village council to explain why its charges for the job are higher than those other firms say they would charge. Officials from Pannell Kerr Mac- Gillivray will be asked to meet with council over the charges for the yearly audit of the village books and those of associated boards and committees. Councillors have been complaining for the last few years about the cost of the audit and this year took the unusual step of inviting quotations from other auditing firms as to how much they would charge for the same job. Pannell Kerr MacGillivray was more than $3,000 more expensive than the lowest of the quotes and Continued on page 2 Four-year-old Melissa Badley of RR 2, Bl vth, comes In for some tender, loving care and a little extra attention as Barb Mutter, operator of the Brussels Playschool, gives her some help in making a valentine for her mother. Melissa Is one of nearly 40 local pre-schoolers who attend the Playschool, a facility unmatched in any other Huron County village and envied by many larger communities. For the story, see Page 5. Brussels recycling begins April 5 A recycling program will begin in Brussels April 5 although several councillors indicated they weren’t enthusiastic about the idea. Brussels village council Monday night accepted the bid of Don Carter to collect garbage including recyclable materials at a cost of $240 per week, the lowest of three bids. Mr. Carter currently collects the village’s garbage at a cost of $180 per week but will charge an extra $60 for picking up recyclable goods. He indicated to council he would test the situation in the first few weeks, using a trailer to collect the clear plastic bags filled with recyclable materials put out to curbside. He had estimated to council he expected only a couple of hundred pounds a week of recycl­ able material while another bidder, Jim Anderson of Blyth, had esti­ mated 1100 pounds a week of material to be recycled. Council voted to move to a clear-plastic garbage bag for recy­ clable materials rather than under­ take the expense of buying the blue boxes used in many curbisde recycling projects. Council will provide the initial few clear plastic bags to residents with residents expected to buy the bags there­ after, likely from local stores which will likely stock them. A public meeting to discuss the recycling program and answer residents’ questions will be held March 29, one week before the program goes into effect. Brussels joins Grey, West Wawanosh and most recently, Morris township in recycling. It Continued on page 2 Teachers, board resume talks February 14 has been set as the date for the resumption of talks between the Huron County Board of Education and its 390 elemen­ tary school teachers in a further attempt to reach a new collective agreement in their long-standing dispute. Newly appointed mediator David Whitehead will chair the London meeting. “It is hoped that the love and goodwill implicit in (that) date will prevail,” said Director of Educa­ tion Bob Allen in making the announcement to school trustees in Clinton on Monday. The board and its teachers have been without an agreement since last August, and have been negoti­ ating without results since last March. In addition, the board was in­ formed at Monday’s meeting that its secondary school teachers have stated their intent to negotiate a new agreement with the HCBE to replace the present collective agreement which expires on August 31, 1989. Legislation constrains the parties in a collective agreement to meet within 30 days of the receipt of a letter of intent, which in this case was dated January 19. No date has yet been set for a meeting.