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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1992-02-05, Page 1Success story J Development ■ Advice Entertainment\ Ron Vercruyssen nears end of college basketball career See page 3 Steering committee wants to develop entrepreneurs See page 6 RRSPs way to save taxes, and prepare for retirement See page 8 Plans underway for Blyth's 1993 community play See page 19 Londesboro teen killed in Clinton-area crash A Londesboro teen is dead and a 17-year-old female has been charged following an accident in Hullett Township late Friday. The car was northbound on Huron County Road 8, police said, outside Clinton, when the driver lost control. Jonathon Potter, 16, who was not wearing a seatbelt, died after being thrown from the late-model sedan while it rolled over several times in the west ditch. Five teenagers, including the driver were treated at Clinton Pub­ lic Hospital for minor injuries and released. Their identities have been withheld because the driver was charged with careless driving and can’t be named under the Young Offenders Act. Alcohol wasn't a factor, police said. Murray Elston gains support for weekend’s leadership vote By the end of the weekend Huron county may be one step closer to the possibility of having a premier from its own backyard. Ontario Liberals will choose a new leader at a convention at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton on Friday and Saturday and Morris township native Murray Elston is leading the way going in. Delegates will vote Saturday on their new leader who will become leader of the opposition in the province and the person most likely to be premier if the current NDP government should fail to win re­ election in the next provincial elec­ tion. After delegate selection at the riding level last month, Mr. Elston, who now represents Bruce in the legislature, held a 52-vote edge over Lyn McLeod of Fort William, his closest of five rivals for the position of leader. Besides the com­ mitted delegates there are another 160 independent delegates and 450 ex-officio delegates: people such as riding presidents, MPs and former candidates. It is expected several ballots will be needed to declare a winner. Mr. Elston had originally said he didn't want to run for the leader­ ship because of the added pressure The victim was the son of Wayne and Grace Potter. Funeral services were held at the Beattie-Falconer Funeral Home, Clinton, at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, February 4. Jonathon was a member of the stage crew of Central Huron Sec­ ondary School's Drama Club. Stephen Oliver, director of the drama club says Jonathon has been a member for three years and was a hard worker, who was "always able to find something to do." As expression of sympathy the family has asked that memorial donations be made to the drama club. Mr. Oliver said the fund will likely be used for a commemora­ tive award or scholarship in Jonathon's memory. it would bring on his family life. He has guarded the privacy of his wife Trudy and five children throughout his political career. Because he was not running, he was named interim leader of the party when Robert Nixon stepped down. Later, however, pressure was exerted on Mr. Elston to change his mind and he became the last candidate to join the race. Recently he won the support of two influential Liberals, Sheila Copps, deputy leader of the federal Liber­ als and a former Ontario leadership candidate herself, and Ian Scott, former attorney general of Ontario. On the weekend, the Toronto Star, Canada's largest circulation newspaper also declared Elston was the best person for the role of lead­ er of the party, pointing out his per­ formance in some of the toughest portfolios in the David Peterson government. As well as a strong band of well-wishers from Huron and Bruce, Mr. Elston will be surround­ ed by his family at the convention. His father and mother, Bill and Isabel, brother Wayne, sister-in-law Lynda and niece Carolyn are among the 15 committed delegates from Huron riding going to the convention. On the trail This lone rider was one of many snowmobilers who enjoyed some outdoor fun on Sunday, as participants in Walton Sports Club's annual Poker Rally. With plenty of snow for this year's event, the only drawback, though a minor one, was the mild temperatures, which can often keep machines from running in top form. Crime Stoppers tip helps police uncover stolen property haul Charges are pending and the investigation continues after a Crime Stoppers tip led Wingham OPP to stolen property in a Blyth apartment Wednesday, January 29. A spokesperson from the police said police recovered a number of cassette tapes stolen from five parked vehicles, household items from an unreported break and enter and an item later identified as hav­ ing come from Gore's Hardware in Blyth. Two local people were arrested and two Young Offenders implicat­ ed as a result of the investigation conducted by Constable Mike Alexander. The spokesperson said that a number of people have come for­ ward to report stolen property since the investigation began, so the case has become quite complex. Financial picture ‘grim’ HCBE director tells trustees "Grim" was the picture painted by Huron County Board of Educa­ tion's Director of Education Bob Allan as he emphasized budget restraint to the trustees at the February 3 meeting. Mr. Allan reminded the board that the Premier and the Treasurer of Ontario have said that transfer payments to education will be increased by one percent in 1992, two percent in 1993 and two per­ cent in 1994. Last year the increase was eight and nine percent he said and six and seven percent previous­ ly; "This, of course, does not indi­ cate the amount of grant which will be received, to be governed by the specific guidelines of the General Legislative Grants. The Minister of Education has indicated that these will be available on March 7. "In spite of the fact that we can­ not be specific, we do anticipate a very difficult problem in develop­ ing the estimates for 1992," said Mr. Allan. He assumed, he said, that the grant revenue will not increase. "Any more than expected will be a happy surprise." In 1991 the board's budget was $60.8 million. According to Mr. Allan, the payroll in an educational system is said to be 80 percent of the total budget, so approximately $48.6 million of the budget is pay­ roll. A payroll increase of approxi­ mately six percent is working its way through the system, he said, adding that if payrolls are frozen at the current levels until the end of December 1992, the increase will be approximately $2,916 million. "If we are successful in freezing every other item on the budget at 1991 levels - and we know we can­ not - these assumptions would require a $3 million additional expenditure at the local ratepayer level," Mr. Allan told the board. While this doesn't sound like much, he said it amounts to more than the yearly salary of 50-60 teachers. "It is an enormous prob­ lem," he said, "one that represents a crisis, the size of which has not been experienced in the history of county school board goverance." Mr. Allan noted some of the changes administration have already made. The employees have decided to have vending machines brought into the staff room, replac­ ing the "open door" refrigerator presently there for their use. A tem­ porary employee was recently let go and a teacher deployed. Mr. Allan said that in order to achieve the zero percent increase, which the board has already man­ dated by resolution, the standing committees will have to look at major constraints. He recommended to the board that administration take appropriate action as legally as possible to con­ serve the boards assets until the 1992 estimates. The motion, he said, would be useful in overriding some existing motions. Mr. Allan promised the changes wouldn't be erratic, but it would help administration begin downsiz­ ing the staff complement. "I will caution that there is going to be some rough justice," he said. Trustee Bob Heywood said that though it appeared to him the administration should be com­ mended on the motion, he was con- Continued on page 3