HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1998-04-01, Page 170e + 50 GST750 Wednesday, April 1, 1998 Vol. 14 No 13
Wood workers
Close to 20 area youths found a creative way to spend their spring holiday. Steven
Dougherty, foreground and Thomas Bolinger, just two members of the Woodworking 4-H
Club finish the gumball machines they crafted. Hosted by Sam Dougherty of the Londesboro
area, three groups of youths spent the final week of March break also creating birdhouses,
tic-tac-toe games and shelves.
Time
changes
It's news that may not
necessarily brighten your days,
but it will make them longer.
At 2 a.m. Sunday, April 5 we
take one more step into
springtime, moving the clocks
ahead one hour to welcome
Daylight Savings Time.
Sports
Congratulations to the
OMHA Blyth Bantams
and Midget champs
See pages 14, 15
Awards
Brussels Bulls honour
their best at annual
awards night
See pages 13, 16
Entertainment
Canadian comic veteran
makes return to Blyth
Hall stage
See page 27
The North Huron
Funding model itizen disappoints bd.
Drug bust in Morris
Huron County OPP officers
seized approximately 100 marijua-
na plants in a Morris Twp. bust,
March 26.
Acting on information received,
officers converged on Lot 5, Conc.
2, at 8 a.m., Thursday, discovering
the plants as well as hydroponic
growing equipment.
According to the _OPP, the crop
would have had a street value of
approximately $100,000, if it had
grown to maturity.
Adrian Mark Dicastri, 28, and
Dawn Margaret Allison, 25, have
been charged with production of a
controlled substance.
They will appear in Wingham
Criminal Court, May 7.
The waiting and speculation are
over but the results of the provin-
cial government's new education
funding model are disappointing
for the Avon Maitland District
School Board.
Janet Baird-Jackson, superinten-
dent of corporate operations and
information technology said, "We
don't have all the details, but the
fair and equitable funding we had
hoped would happen appears not to
have."
Baird-Jackson said the area of
greatest concern is with accommo-
dation grants which cover every-
thing from building operation to
maintenance, renovations and
space for increased student num-
bers.
If the formula from a leaked doc-
ument is used, which Baird-Jack-
son said the government has since
confirmed is the correct one, this
board will Jose $1.8 million in
funding for these purposes.
"We will have to look at closing-
schools if those figures are con-
firmed," she said.
"The adjustment factor which
was intended to aid rural and
remote schools with purchasing for
accommodations was not there."
Otherwise Baird-Jackson said, it
should be business as usual in the
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen staff
The future of Junior C hockey in
Brussels is facing uncertainty once
again.
With increasing financial
demands making the ability to ice a
competitive team while keeping a
balanced budget tougher, the Brus-
sels Bulls executive has serious
options to consider.
And they want help from the
public before making their deci-
sions.
Club President Wayne Todd said
that the executive has been
approached by two towns indicat-
ing they are prepared to make an
offer for the team. While the execu-
tive does not want to see the team
leave Brussels, the reality, Todd
said; is that Junior C hockey is not
low budget.
"Lots of teams are running on
budgets of $100,000 or more," said
Todd. The Bulls have been able to
keep theirs at half that, he adds, by
not paying an allowance to the
players. However, there are still
costs for ice-time (in the area of
$20,000 per season), buses and
equipment.
Two years ago the club ran into
a deficit and after looking closely at
their situation, Todd said, the focus
was on trying to keep the club in
the black. "Two years ago there
was a feeling that the community
needs this club. That was a concern
schools as the grant levels appear to
be in line.
According to government docu-
ments, the new model will focus
not only on a simplified nine-grant
system, but concentrate on the
classroom.
Foundation finances will be allo-
cated to school boards on a per stu-
dent basis, thereby providing equal
funds for pupils in all areas of the
province.
"Funding has been extremely
unfair to students in Huron. Parents
and students can now be assured
that no matter where they live,
there is funding to provide high
quality education," said Huron
MPP Helen Johns.
Boards will be given $3,367 per
elementary student and $3,953 for
each secondary school student, for
1998, for both classroom and non-
classroom spending.
Johns said funding will remain
stable for the next three years, how-
ever, there will be changes where it
is spent.
"Classroom" money spent on
teachers, supply teachers, teacher
assistants, textbook and classroom
supplies, computers, library and
guidance services, professional and
paraprofessional services such as
Continued on page 17
back then and is now," said Todd.
He noted that last year the Brus-
sels hockey system lost its Midget
team and the Crusaders. "Between
Blyth and Brussels (minor hockey)
put together a Juveniles team here
and a Midget team there, which
have been quite successful."
The Brussels Juveniles won the
1997-98 season WOAA champi-
onship, while the Blyth Midgets
took the Ontario Minor Hockey
Association title.
While other Jr. C clubs often
spend money to attract players to
their teams, Todd said, the Bulls
have made a commitment to
acquiring as much local talent as
possible. "And it's obvious from
this season that the talent is here
locally. The success of these teams
stands for itself on what quality is
in this area."
To get input from the public the
executive has set a meeting in the
arena on April 2 at 8:15 p.m. In
addition to Brussels people, Todd
said he would like to see individu-
als interested in hockey to talk
about the club's future. He would
really like to see involvement from
Blyth because of this year's co-
operative Success.
"If Jr. C. goes, I think you are
talking about the future of hockey
in this area. The writing is on the
wall. My feeling is that there will
be local kids with the potential to
play Jr. C, but who will not have
the opportunity. If that should hap-
pen, there's nothing left to say."
Brussels may lose Bulls
C