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The Citizen, 1994-01-26, Page 15THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26,1994. PAGE 15. Bus drivers make decision to close schools By Janice Becker The beginning of the 1994 school year has not been a good one, at least where the weather is con­ cerned. The continuous snow and windy conditions have often made the driving treacherous. This is of spe­ cial concern to bus drivers who must travel the country roads as well as the highways to get every­ one's children home. Chuck Rowland, superintendent Ignoring road closures, a dangerous practice It is a known fact in Huron County that blizzards and blowing snow conditions create very serious problems and sometimes zero visibility which creates dangerous white-out areas and wind-chill factors. Sometimes, just the mention of the words Taylor's Comers, Shepperdton Comers, Londesborough Hill or Brucefield, conjures up traffic mayhem, collisions, rollovers and vehicles in the ditch. Unfortunately, if Taylor's Comers and the Holmesville Flats on Highway 8 both have zero visibility due to blowing snow, it would be impossible, impractical and also frustrating to drivers to close the road at those locations only, says Senior Constable John Marshall, Huron County's Community Services Officer. Also, with the heavy snow squalls coming off of Lake Huron, it does not take a lot of wind to whip up this snow in any area of this county. White-out conditions may exist in Goderich and Clinton, but in Seaforth the sun may be out. Road closures are made usually from community to community, to ensure motorists are not stranded in the middle of nowhere, causing more grief to themselves and their families. When a provincial highway is closed to traffic, Const. Marshall says, this also means that county and township roads are probably in the same condition, so it becomes the discretion of the driver whether to travel on those roads. "No journey is worth risking your life Sunday School follows morning worship service Continued from page 12 people must apply Enoch's example to their own Christian walk. First, Enoch knew God. The word 'know' means to have an intimate knowledge of God which includes a relationship. Enoch's faith was real. He had a very close relationship with God. Secondly, Enoch acknowledged God's presence. In order to have faith the bible says people must believe that God exists. Many times they miss the joy of walking with God because they choose to ignore him. Thirdly, Enoch was in agreement with God. Accept the mind of Christ and live in harmony with the will of God. Finally, Enoch appreciated, and enjoyed God. Rev. VanderMolen suggested that people should take a close look at their lives. "Are you following these examples of Enoch?" he asked. If you profess to be Christians is your life different than the non-Christian? With the presence of the Holy Spirit in you and with your desire to be obedient to Christ's command to love one another, you will be a of schools for the HCBE says, "It is the bus operators, in conjunction with advice from the OPP, who make the decisions as to whether the schools will be closed for the day and if children are to be sent home early." "The OPP inform the bus opera­ tors of highways which are becom­ ing dangerous and if closures are imminent. The operators then advise the schools of the decision," says Mr. Row land. for," says Const. Marshall, collisions because some motorists travel around "ROAD CLOSED" barriers. Exeter, Goderich and Wingham detachment officers have to risk their own lives going into white-out conditions to investigate vehicular These motorists not only endanger their own or their passenger's life, but also endanger the lives of people driving emergency vehicles. Snow ploughs, sanders, graders, ambulances, fire trucks, utility emergency vehicles and police vehicles are all exempt from travelling on closed roads due to emergency situations. The Highway Traffic Act, Section 134(3) states, "where signs or traffic control devices have been posted, no person shall drive or operate a vehicle on the closed highway or part thereof in intentional disobedience of the signs or traffic control devices." The penalty for driving "on a closed highway" can result in a $90 fme and three demerit points. "The Ontario Provincial Police regrets the inconvenience caused by having to close roads during winter's inclement weather. We would prefer to keep them open but the safety factor becomes very low and another highway death or serious injury is not what we want to investigate, therefore, we would appreciate your assistance in helping us to maintain our highways safe for you and your family," says Const. Marshall. shining light for him. Just let Jesus be your guide, he said. Sunday School for the children followed the morning worship service. Siep and Anne Bosma served coffee. Opportunity for questions at info night Continued from page 12 Parents will then be given the opportunity to address their questions and concerns. A sample of the curriculum will be available for perusal. A new local Christian school would run as a satellite campus of the Christian Academy of Western Ontario, located in Hyde Park. The Academy is fully accredited and well-established in the London area. The meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Bethel Bible Church, Water Street in EgmondvilJe. For more information, call 522-0070. "It is then that the principals at each school must put their parent volunteer network to work, inform­ ing all parents that children will be arriving home early or that the school will be closed for the day." "We count on this network to contact all the parents. It is a princi­ pal's greatest fear that a child will arrive home early to a locked and empty house. So far, this has not happened to our knowledge, and the system has worked very well," Achievement These members of the Ethel 4-H club were recognized at an Achievement Night recently. From left: Heather Blake, 12 projects; Julie Terpstra, 2 projects; Lorraine Blake, six projects. Also completing six projects were Christina and Cynthia Dewit. AUTOMOTIVE ATTENTION FORD SUPERCAB OWNERS. Seat lift kit available for rear bench seat. Easy installation. $169.00 including shipping and handling. Call toll-free 1-800-561-7867. VISA/MC. BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY START YOUR OWN home-based risk-free health business. Full-time/Part-time. Full training provided. Representatives required immediately. Details/info. Nutrinol International Inc. 1-800-361- 4333. YOUR OWN BUSINESS selling exercisewear part/full-time. Fitness contacts an asset. Generous profits. No investment. Canadian made. Free details. 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Adjustments must be made in exam and test schedules as well as making arrangements nec­ essary so that the entire program is covered. For the teachers, they are required to try to reach the school if it has remained open. Meetings have been held recently to settle the matter of receiving pay on days when weather has prevent­ ed a teacher from reaching work, Mr. Rowland says. "A meeting of the executive team has requested the principals to review the policy for pay on snow days." . There has been the suggestion that teachers and staff not be paid for days when they are not able to reach the school, except where there has been a concerted effort to do so. He says he has worked with other school boards whose policy stales there is no pay without proof of an effort to arrive at work or if the staff member shows up sometime during the work day. "This has worked well and I believe it is a sensible solution to the pay dilemma," he says. (It is still under discussion with the teachers' federations.) The principals will also be asked to look for ways to minimize snow days and their effect on the pro­ gram, possibly by finding alterna­ tive uses for the days when students are not in attendance, he says. These days can be used to the advantage of teachers in terms of Social Contract restrictions, says Mr. Rowland. Professional devel­ opment days could be held on snow days instead of teachers attending the sessions after work hours or on weekends. Mr. Rowland adds, "There is no financial cost to the system because of the closures and difficulties with covering program material is kept to a minimum until the number of closure dates becomes excessive."