HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1998-01-28, Page 1An opportunity to get involved
Grade 6-7 students from East Wawanosh Public School took part in a wild turkey release
last week when Mike Malhiot, right, fish and wildlife biologist with the Ministry of Natural
Resources, invited the class along as five birds were set free at their new home. Getting a
close look at the turkey are, from left: Emily Elston, Kerri Meier and Nicole Procter.
MNR releases wild turkeys in Huron
It was a hands-on approach for
the Grade 6-7 class of East
Wawanosh Public School as they
took part in one of the last wild
turkey releases in Huron County,
Jan. 22.
Mike Malhiot of the Ministry of
Natural Resources (MNR) has been
speaking to the East Wawanosh
class and believed this would be a
great opportunity for them to get
involved.
The class, Malhiot, and volun-
teers from the Huron-Perth Wild
Turkey Association, travelled to a
farm in North Huron for the release
of five birds trapped near Barrie the
day before.
Though Malhiot warned the stu-
dents the birds might be sluggish
from their hours in confinement,
each took off quickly for the nearby
woodlot.
Though native to Ontario, the
wild turkey disappeared around the
turn of the century due to loss of
habitat.
Since 1984, the MNR has been
redistributing birds across the
province.
The original stock of 267 birds,
transferred from Missouri, Iowa,
New York., Michigan, Vermont and
New Jersey, has done very well,
allowing the ministry to relocate
1,200 birds to date, at 100 sites.
Of that number, 93 birds have
been moved to six sites in Huron
County since 1992. They now
range over 13 townships, in heavily
wooded areas.
The releases are a co-operative
effort between the MNR and
Ontario Federation of Anglers and
Hunters who trap and transfer the
birds.
The Huron-Perth Wild Turkey
Association contributed $7,000 to
the trapping program for this
release as well as providing trans-
portation for the birds and paying
the cost of bussing for school chil-
dren to the release site.
The National Wild Turkey Feder-
ation provided boxes and technical
and biological support.
News
Brussels
donations aid
Crysler residents
See page 2
Sports
Brussels Bulls
begin playoffs
this weekend
See page 8
Entertainment
Blyth Festival
season already off
to a good start
See page 19
Hospital
Clinton Public
Hospital group
seeks physians
See page 20
By Jackie Fitton
Huron Expositor
itizen north of Winthrop
The North Huron ••Fire destroys home
No lives were lost as fire
destroyed a home just north of
Winthrop Saturday night.
The cause is still under investiga-
tion by the Seaforth and Area Fire
Department.
Chief George Garrick said the
investigation should be concluded
later this week.
The home, located on Conc. 10-
11, was being rented by Derek and
Sheila Diehl and their three chil-
dren from owner Matt Haney. The
family is now staying with friends.
Garrick said the alarm came in at
10:30 p.m. and the house was total-
ly engulfed when firefighters
arrived.
Walton residents have already
come to the aid of the family. Any-
one wanting to donate clothes or
articles is asked to take them to the
Walton school.
Bd. cuts $2.4 million.
Asks prow for grant
Vol. 14 No. 4 Wednesday, Jan. 28, 1998
700+5/t GST 750
By Michele Greene
Special to The Citizen
The Avon-Maitland District
School Board chopped $2.4 million
out of its budget for Perth and
Huron County schools and will ask
the Ministry of Education for relief
from its projected $6.2 million
shortfall.
At a special board meeting in
Stratford last Thursday night, Paul
Carroll, director of education, told
trustees that he and four other
members of the administration will
meet with representatives from the
Ministry of Education and Training
today (Wednesday, Jan. 28). They
will ask for funding through a
special, one time transition
assistance fund and a special
"undue burden" grant. - -
The provinces short-year funding
is intended to support boards over
the next eight months during their
transitional period after
amalgamation. Marilyn Marklevitz,
superintendent of business and
finance, said the funding is also
supposed to be stable so boards can
operate as they did in 1997.
"The ministry did pitimise stable
funding and this isn't stable," she
said.
The $71.8 million funding from
the province to the Avon-Maitland
With the support the Ministry
of Health, Wingham and District
Hospital has been given the green
light on construction of an adjoin-
ing medical clinic.
In an announcement made Jan.
22, Executive Director Lloyd Koch
said the $850,000 project will be
funded by the hospital and through
donations to the Hospital Founda-
tion.
Approval for the addition, grant-
ed by the Ministry of Health, was
contingent on self-funding, with no
financial assistance from the min-
istry now or in the future.
The year-long building program
will include renovations to the
lower floor and an addition to the
west side, said Koch. An architect
will soon be hired to design and
supervise the construction.
Board and Clinic Committee
Chair George Underwood said, "I
board left it with a projected $6.2
million shortfall. After calculating
staffing requirements and transfers
of tuition fees, administration
brought that figure down to $4.2
million, said Marklevitz.
Trustees cut $2.4 million out of
the budget on Thursday night,
reducing capital expenses as well
as maintenance and operating costs,
leaving the board with a $1.8
million shortfall.
Carroll told trustees that the
former Perth County Board of
Education's spending of $2 million
to bring the computer availability
to students up to ministry standards
and its rate of spending resulted in
the shortfall.
He took criticism for these
comments and ones made to the
press before the meeting.
Brenda Schultz, chairperson of
the local education improvement
commission and former vice-chair
of the Perth board, said the board
was frugal and spent money
upgrading outdated science and
computer labs. She said it doesn't
deserve all of the blame.
Schultz called Carroll's
comments "divisive."
During his report to trustees,
Carroll said he didn't describe the
problem as being a result of
Continued on page 6
would like to thank all the citizens
of Wingham and District Hospital
who encouraged us to undertake
this project, in particular the efforts
of the board members, administra-
tion, the mayor, town council and
most recently, (Huron MPP) Helen
Johns, in obtaining the approval."
"This clinic is the lynch-pin of
our physician recruitment strategy,"
said Koch. "I'll be contacting doc-
tors who have expressed interest in
our area and letting them know
we'll have a brand new building for
them."
Wingham was designated an
underserviced area late in 1997 and
had been dealing with the problem
of physician recruitment.
All those involved hope the clinic
will help alleviate these difficulties.
The clinic will be designed to
house five general practitioners,
two specialists and support staff as
well as a small pharmacy and lab.
Wingham hospital
gets clinic go-ahead