The Citizen, 2002-10-30, Page 1e Citizen
Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2002
Freaky
Mom Fran seems a little more startled than her son Kirby Cook, by this creepy creature
stepping out of the bush during the Witches Walk along the Blyth Greenway Trail this past
weekend. The event brought in $1,139 in donations. Profits go to the fire department's thermal
imaging camera. The department cooked 33 dozen hot dogs for many participants.(vicky Bremner
photo)
Trustees reject recommendations
Volume 18 No. 42
Inside this week
Pg Locals among
Madill honourees
8
Bantams continue Pg. solid play
n Legion videotapes
rg• local students
French students Pg. 12 enjoy exchange
Festival seeks art Pg. f7 for poster
Car thief
turns
himself
in
After a number of vehicle thefts in
Huron County, over the past three
months; a l9-y—eaf old man turned
himself in to OPP, Oct. 27, at 10:45
p.m. at the Grand Bend office. ,
David James of Morris-Turnberry
is being held in custody while
awaiting a bail hearing in Sarnia. He
has been charged with four counts
of theft over $5,000, two counts of
theft under $5,000. possession of
stolen property and dangerous
driving:
The thefts, which began Aug. 2,'
focused on the Morris-Turnberry
and Brussels areas.
The first vehicle, a Dodge pick-up
stolen from Beuermann
Construction, was used to destroy
several shop signs and residents'
lawns.
It was also driven dangerously on
the roads, causing several drivers to
fear for their lives, said the OPP
report.
The truck and the attached trailer,
later found in Morris, were
destroyed. The value of the damage
was approximately $20,000.
On Sept. 14, a truck and horse
trailer were taken front a Turnberry
driveway. It was found with more
than $12,000 in damages.
- A company vehicle parking in a
Morris driveway was stolen Oct. 6.
It was found damaged in another
part of the municipality.
That same, night, a vehicle was
stolen from Brussels and found
smashed against a tree,on Brussels
Line in Morris.
The following morning, a truck
was taken from a drive in Belgrave
where it had been wedged between
two other vehicles. Both sustained
damages totalling $3,000. The truck
was found abandoned in Wingham.
The last in the string of thefts
occurred Oct. 23 when a truck was
taken from a farm lane in Morris. It
\ 1. as later recovered by Grand Bend
OPP
By Stew Slater
Special to The Citizen
Public schools in Huron and Perth
Counties are safe from the threat of
closure for at least a year, and quite
likely as long as three years,
following a 7-2 vote of the Avon
Maitland District School Board on
' Tuesday, Oct. 22.
The vote rejected
recommendations, contained in a
report from board staff, to move into
the next phase of the annual,.
government-mandated "student -
accommodation review" process.
Those recommendations would have
seen five elementary schools — two
outside .Goderich, one outside
Wingham, one in Blyth and one in
Mitchell — studied for possible
closure.
The relocation of Grades 7. and 8
students into high school settings in
_ Listowel, Mitchell and Exeter would
also have been considered.
"The recommendations will either
improve, program opportunities for
students or -assist the board in
addressing its ongoing financial
challenges," explained Education
Superintendent Bill Gerth, as he
presented the report to trustees.
"Those things were foremost in our
minds when we considered what we
would bring before You this
evening."
Foremost in the minds of several
trustees, however, was a desire to
avoid a situation similar to the last
time the board approved the closure
of schools.
In the weeks, days and hours prior
to a February, 2002 vote to close
three schools, a small number of key
changes were made in the list of to-
be-closed facilities, due in some
cases . to. a be 1 ie 1 that thc.icycl, of
financial savings would not be as
great as initially predicted.
"1 need to see the money . . .
because we went through this whole
process last year only to discover
come December that (some closure
options) weren't even financially
Viable," stated Stratford trustee Meg
Westley. -
South/West Perth representative
Carol Bennewies agreed, and took
particular issue with the report's
proposal to close Mitchell Public
School and move all of the town's
Grades 7 and 8 students into
Mitchell District High School
(MDHS). She, wanted more proof
that the necessary additional
construction at MDHS would be .
worth it.
Westley unsuccessfully sought a
deferral of the vote, to allow time for
Avon Maitland staff to collect more
specific financial information.
Her suggeStion failed to gain
support partly because some trustees
felt it would be okay to seek
financial information about certain
options, but other options should be
eliminated immediately. Other
trustees felt this would be unfair to
the schools remaining on the list.
And it was clear that some trustees
felt Westley's suggestion essentially
equated to an approval of the intent
of the report, by keeping the closure
option open for a number of schools.
Instead, trustees like Charlie Smith
(Central/East Huron) and Butch
Desjardine {Northwest Huron)
wanted nothing at all _to do with
closing any schools this year.
"I am as passionate about ending
this process tonight as Mr. Bril linger
is about seeing it carry on." said
Smith. referring to the arguments in
favour of the report from Listowel-
area trustee Don
Both chair Colleen Schenk and
past-chair Wendy Anderson — each
of whom has served as chief
spokesperson for the board during
past closure campaigns — expressed
reluctance to pursue closure so soon
after last February's events.
"I just don't feel this is the right
time to do this," Schenk said.
"This is a troubling report,
certainly, coming on the heels of the
last (round of closures) as it does,"
Anderson agreed. She expressed
displeasure with some of the anti-
administration feedback she had
received in the' days after the .new
report was made public, adding that
board staff was merely doing the job
it is required to do. But she argued
that Huron and Perth communities
needed a break from the potentially
divisive and stressful process of
closing schools.
Trustees were united, however, on
one point: there was unanimous
support for examining the
possibility of relocating all students
from Seaforth Public School into the
building formerly occupied by
Seaforth District High School.
The high school closed its doors in
June, 2002.
About 50 members of the public
attended the Oct. 22 meeting,
including several wearing buttons
promoting Holmesville Public
School. Colin Pritchard, a parent
representative from Holmesville,
delivered a public delegation prior
to the. meeting, •as did Darlene
Hewitt, a parent from Colborne
Central Public School.
It's unlikely the board will carry
out a full accommodation review in
2003-04. since the scheduled
election of new trustees in
November, 2003 would disrupt the
process.
75 Cents (70c + 5c GST)
Dunedin
on home
tour
A stately Victorian manor, which
once served as a maternity hospital,
will be one of the five homes
featured on Brussels first annual
Christmas Home Tour, Nov. 8, 9, 10.
Dunedin Manor Bed and
Breakfast, now owned by Terence
Brandon, was built in 1887 as the
,home and offices of Dr. W.J.R.
Holmes. The structure was modeled
after, and named for, a castle in
Scotland. Since then it has enjoyed a
rich and storied past.
While Dunedin has -served as an
apartment complex it is best
remembered by long-time village
residents as the maternity hospital.
Brandon is the seventh owner of
the 16-room dwelling. He purchased
it in 1997.
Having painted the exterior,
Brandon has also enhanced the
interior with his antique collection.
Most of the house has been left as
original as possible With rich wood,
and intricate detail. While high
ceilings and large rooms afford a
spacious opulence,- various alcoves
and hallways create- a sense of
privacy.
For the home tour, Dunedin is
being decorated by Granny's
Country Kitchen and Crafts,
Milverton.
Also rich in history, but totally
different from Dunedin is the
uniquely cozy home of Rick and
Trixie Pfeiffer. .
Located at 720 John St., the
central portion of the present storey-
and-a-half house is. believed to have
been a log cabin constructed circa
1848. The remaining rooms,,
constructed -some 65 years ago feed
off this.
The end result, complemented by
the eclectic mix of modern and
antique furnishings and accents,
creates an atmosphere similar to a
rustic lake-country cottage.
The Pfeiffer home, which was
purchased in 1988, will be decorated
by Margie's Speciality Shoppe,
Lucknow.
A total change comes with the
seven-year-old brick bungalow of
Barb and Max McLellan at 673
James St.
Designed with an open concept.
the home offers cathedral ceilings
and three skylights. There are four
bedrooms; three baths and a large.
kitchen off a sunken family room.
The cupboards are oak and the
house is warmed by hardwood
floors and oak trim throughout.
The McLellan residence also has a
completed recreation room, as well
as a toy room and workshop.
Luann's Country Flowers in Blyth
is the decorator.
The United Church manse at the
corner of John and King Streets was
built in 1900 by D.A. Lo r) This
red-brick two-storey dwelling. now
home to the current minister Joan
Golden and her husband Rev.
Richard Golden. will be decorated
by Crystal Studio. Lucknow and
Tammy King and Deb Campbell of
Brussels.
Continued on page 7