HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1997-11-12, Page 1Education Sports Entertainment
Parents hear teachers’Brussels Bulls capture Blyth Festival thinks
concerns regarding Bill win over Wolves and tie ahead to summer with ’98
160 at Brussels meeting Blackhawks season playbill
See page 6 See page 10 See page 27
Reeves fall
in election
Incumbent reeves fell across the
board as challengers took their
seats in the municipal election.
The council seats are still in
question for Morris Twp. as incum
bent John Duskocy and Edna
McLellan tied with 278 votes,
while Neil Warwick was only
slightly ahead with 284. A recount
will be held for all three candidates,
within the next 10 days to fill the
remaining two seats.
Kevin Pletch was returned to
council with 346 votes.
Reeve Bert Elliot and Deputy-
Reeve Keith Johnston were
acclaimed.
The Village of Brussels selected
Ralph Watson as reeve with 340
votes to 144 for incumbent Gordon
Glad to he back
Parents pick up protest
Picking up where striking
teachers left off, 10 Huron County
parents picketed in front of the
office of Helen Johns, MPP on
Monday, Nov. 10.
According to spokesman, Tony
McQuail from the Lucknow area,
they were there to show support for
public education and demand that
Bill 160 be withdrawn. The protest
brought together parents from
across the County. Valerie Watson
and Jack Overholt represented the
Brussels and Ethel area. Margaret
Townsend and her two children,
Emily and Conner, were from
Ho wick. The Wingham area was
represented by Joyce Williamson,
Carol Bowyer and Pat Graham-
Roberts.
During the protest McQuail read
"How the Grinch stole education"
which ends with the lines "And
what happened then...? We really
can't say, If the Grinch's heart
shrank or grew bigger that day, But
one thing for sure has come
through loud and clear, You won't
Workman.
Joseph Seili, Mary Stretton,
Greg Wilson and newcomer Mike
Thomas were acclaimed to council.
The acclaimed PUC Commis
sioners were David Hastings and
Henry F. Exel with no change.
In Grey Twp., former Deputy-
Reeve Robin Dunbar received 404
votes over one-time councillor Dale
Newman's 189 to take the reeve's
position.
Incumbents Helen Cullen (380
votes) and Graeme MacDonald
(408) will be joined by new coun
cillor Lyle Martin (493).
In the Village of Blyth, incum
bent Reeve Mason Bailey will head
a council consisting of incumbents
Continued on page 13
hear the truth from our scheming
premier, And most of Ontario
became more aware, that the
province's teachers really do care."
He went on to say that the
province's parents care too and he
has been impressed with the way
grassroots parental action is
developing.
The protesters then sang
"Withdraw One Six Oh" to the tune
of "We Shall Overcome". They
closed their protest with a period of
silence in solidarity with all those
voices which have had a say in our
education system and will be
silenced by Bill 160.
Following the action in front of
John's office, the protesters met to
discuss further action. Their
immediate concerns were two
parent meetings to be held that
evening at Clinton Public and Grey
Central Schools. These parents say
they are picking up the struggle to
keep the voices of parents and
teachers aloud and alive in our
education system.
While the decision to return to the classroom was a difficult one for many Huron teachers,
students, particularly young ones such as, Blyth Public School students, from left Laura
Peach, Hannah Uyl and Laura Youngblut, were excited to be back. The strike ended
dramatically last week, when three of the five federations decided they could not gain any
more by staying out. The two remaining ones voted over the weekend to return to class on
Monday.
Leona Armstrong, Brussels’ top citizen
Councillors want more info
The Brussels and area Citizen of
the Year for 1997 is well-known,
not only to local residents, but
throughout the county as well.
Recently retired from her role as
Grey Twp. reeve, Leona Armstrong
has been not just a prominent polit
ical figure, but a busy community
volunteer as well.
Picked from several nominations,
Armstrong was selected for her
many selfless works. Audrey
Cardiff said, '.'J could fill a page
with volunteer jobs she does for her
community. She does so much that
doesn’t involve politics. She takes
flowers every day to seniors, helps
with catering with the church and
fair board. She is an all-around
good citizen."
Nominator Dona Knight
acknowledged Armstrong's work
with the school reunion as part of
the Homecoming Committee, her
membership with the local W1 and
her efforts on behalf of the local
library. "She does so much to make
this a better community to live in.
She is kind and gives of herself."
Armstrong recently received the
Friend to the Lions Award and is a
busy member with Melville Presby
terian Church, where she belongs to
the choir and Guild. "She is the
type of person that if she's needed
is there, to go about the job quietly
and effectively," said Rev. Cathrine
Campbell. "You can count on her
in any circumstance."
Armstrong and her husband Jim,
a retired teacher, live at the edge of
Brussels in Grey Twp. They have
four children, Robert, Brian, Bruce
and Leanne and several grandchil
dren.
Two outgoing members of Huron
County council suggest new coun
cillors should take another look at
reforms tht were designed to make
council more efficient, but they
which felt weren’t giving council
lors the necessary information to
make decisions.
Bill Vanstone, out going reeve of
Col borne raised the subject during
a debate on problems at Huron-
view, Thursday, after Hullett
Twp.’s Reeve Tom Cunningham
had complained there was sq little
information in the minutes of the
Health and Seniors Committee that
councillors might as well only
come to meetings every second
month.
Vanstone talked about the differ
ence between when he first arrived
on council and after council decid
ed to reduce the number of commit
tees and shorten council meetings
several years ago. “We talked about
how we would try it, (downsizing)
and if it didn’t work, we would go
back.” Ten years ago, he said, there
was plenty of discussion on issues
but now there’s little debate. Per
haps, he said, it’s time to reconsider
the changes. While reducing the
number of meetings attended by
councillors saved money “I think if
I’m a taxpayer I’d rather have the
money spent well,” he said.
Vanstone said the money saved
in fewer meetings “is small pota
toes compared to spending
$500,000 on a dump we don’t have
(referring to consultants’ fees spent
to choose the Ashfield Twp. land
fill site recently abandoned).
“I’d recommend for those of you
who come back (after the election)
that you take a darned hard look at
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