HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2000-01-19, Page 7THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2000. PAGE 7.
Parents say closing SDHS will shut down town
By Susan Hundertmark
Huron Expositor
A packed gymnasium of close to
100 people at Seaforth Public School
last night heard the local study
group ask that Grades 7 and 8 be
moved to Seaforth District High
School (SDHS) and that both
Seaforth schools be kept open, clos
ing Walton Public School.
However, Education Director
Lome Rachlis said that option and a
second one favoured by Walton par
ents that would see Walton Public
remain open but close SDHS, “just
don't save very much money.”
“Any other option than the one the
board presented fall considerably
short in savings,” he said after last
night’s public meeting dealing with
the possible closure of local schools
by the Avon Maitland District
School Board.
Rachlis led parents through a pres
entation of the board’s argument to
close SDHS, SPS and Walton Public
School, moving SPS and Walton stu
dents to the high school building
where Harpurhey and Egmondville
students who now attend Huron
Centennial would also be transferred
to make room for Vanastra students
at Huron Centennial once their
school is closed.
Trustee Abby Armstrong said that
Vanastra parents, while they want to
keep their school open, have told the
board they’ll agree to the closure if
the students are kept together at one
school.
Cost savings of the board’s pre
ferred option total just over
$500,000 in operating costs while
keeping Walton open and closing the
high school would save close to
$300,000 and closing Walton but
keeping the Seaforth schools open
would save only $121,000.
However, one-time renovation
costs to the high school to convert it
into a public school are estimated at
$ 171,744 and to add a daycare centre
to the high school are $353,000.
Also, Superintendent Geoff
Williams said that if the proposal for
an agricultural prep school is adopt
ed for SDHS, provincial grants of
about $6,000 per student could be
generated for each of the 25 students
the program could accommodate at a
total of $150,000.
Williams added that a fourth sce
nario, which hasn’t been pursued
since it was only raised a few times,
would be to make SDHS into a
kindergarten to Grade 10 school.
“While it’s been asked what guar
antee will there be that SPS will be
viable if it moves, it’s true that if in
fact the numbers became problemat
ic, we could keep Grades 9 and 10 in
the building,” he said.
While Alf Ross, chair of the
Seaforth cluster study group,
acknowleged after the meeting that
his group hasn’t yet come up with
equal savings to the board’s option,
he said “we’re still working on it.
Stay tuned.”
As well, he said he hoped that the
message presented by parents and
local businesses that the closure of
the high school will create a severe
ly negative impact on the town will
be taken seriously by the trustees.
“I’d like to convince them
(trustees) that they’re real argu
ments,” he said.
Lisa Campbell and Susan Arts,
members of the study group, told
parents that results of the reent
impact survey of town residents and
businesses included responses that
said parents were planning to move
from the community if the high
school closes or that students will be
transferred out of the Avon Maitland
system.
“The issue is ensuring the future of
Seaforth. Contact your trustees and
tell them to keep our schools open in
our town,” said Campbell.
Tuckersmith Twp. Councillor
Paul Spittai asked trustees to “weigh
your options carefully and keep an
open mind,” stressing the negative
economic impact on the newly-amal
gamated municipality of Huron East
s if the high school is closed.
(Seaforth, Brussels and the
Townships of Tuckersmith,
McKillop and Grey are in the
process of amalgamating into one
municipality of Huron East.)
Parent Glenn Giller, who moved to
the Seaforth area six years ago, said
his daughter and her friends are “so
ticked” about the possibility of hav
ing to go to Clinton for high school
that they’re making plans to move to
Barrie to finish high school.
“Besides farm things, Seaforth
produces wonderful kids. They’re
one of the biggest assets of the com
munity and they’re all going to split
out of here and you’re not going to
get your six grand ($6,000 in provin
cial grant) a kid,” he told trustees.
Retailer Liz Cardno told trustees
that she has built her men’s wear
shop entirely around meeting the
needs of high school students and
lays awake at night worrying about
how she will survive if the high
school closes.
“It’s students and their parents that
pay my bills. Closing the high school
will be devastating for myself and
Police nab thieves
in Old Mill heist
On Jan. 18. at approximately 4:30
a.m. the intrusion alarm at Bainton’s
Old Mill on Westmoreland Street in
Bly th was activated. Officers
responded to the alarm and found
that someone had broken into the
building and stole 40 leather coats
valued at $27,000.
A person working in the village
told police he had seen a 1997
Dodge extended cab pickup truck,
green in colour, in the area at the
time of the break-in. A short time
later an officer working in Clinton
saw a vehicle fitting the description.
The officer obtained the plate num
ber and attempted to stop the truck
but the driver refused to stop for the
officer.
The truck left the roadway in
Goderich and two male suspects fled
on foot.
The driver left the roadway in
Holmesville and drove through
News from
the Legion
Continued from page 2
February.
Members Rick and JoAnn
McDonald with guests Carmen and
Mary Bernard enjoyed a delicious
10-course steak dinner that they
had purchased at the Brussels
Legion auction this past Saturday.
High praise to the magnificent
chefs.
A good crowd enjoyed breakfast
on Sunday morning. With bacon,
sausage, eggs, hash browns, fruit
salad, juice, toast, coffee, no one
went home hungry.
Ruth Lowe is recovering at home
from her surgery. We wish her a
well and speedy recovery.
The general meeting is Monday,
Jan. 24 at 8 p.m.
the rest of the retailers in Seaforth,”
she said.
Seaforth Councillor Heather
Robinet asked trustees to “open your
eyes wide enough to imagine this is
your community and your schools
that are being proposed for closure.”
“Then tell me honestly if school
closyre is the only option. Don’t look
at Seaforth as the easiest solution to
your problem. A vote to shut down
our school shuts down our communi
ty. This is about so much more than
money,” she said.
Mayor Dave Scott said the “For
Sale” signs will go up immediately if
the high school is closed with irre
versible damage to Seaforth.
Scott also stressed quality of life
arguments, .saying that removing the
high school from Seaforth would be
very “anti-community” since it
would be “removing an institution
that’s crucial.”
Parent Shirley Brooker com
plained that high school students are
being told at school not to talk about
the closure issue.
Another parent said her daughter
in high school is very frustrated that
she’s not even allowed to wear her
school button in class.
“These kids want to save their
school but they’re not even allowed
to talk about it,” she said.
SPS Grade 8 student Nathaniel
Bakker said he’s moved a lot in his
life and knows what it’s like to be the
“new kid.”
shrubbery and a fence located on the
south side of the house.
Officers after a brief foot chase
caught two male suspects. Further
investigation showed that the truck
had been stolen from Kingscourt in
Exeter. They then found another
stolen vehicle that had been taken
from Parkhill and left at the location
of the stolen vehicle from Exeter. A
1992 Chev Sierra pickup truck had
been taken from the arena parking
lot sometime after 11 p.m. in
Parkhill as the owner was playing
hockey. The two males caught were
from the Strathroy area. Charges
have been laid,and investigating offi
cers are looking at other incidents
that took place in the area that night.
Letter to
the editor
Continued from page 3
original entrance was in the middle
of the front. We had a big wind
which blew the front out and
canned goods blew down the street.
Border Cook, who is mentioned
later in article as renting the small
cement block addition for an egg
grading station, and I were busy
picking them up.
When they rebuilt the front they
put the entrance on the comer.
John T. Bennett,
1448 Front Rd. S.
Amherstburg, ON
N9V 2M8
Osteoporosis strikes 1 in 4
women over 50 years old.
Osteoporosis
Society
• • I ■ of Canada
Call 1-800-463-6842
for more information.
“I’ve felt more at home here than I
have at other places. If you’re the
new kid, you’re going to feel isolat
ed and have a hard time concentrat
ing. I have a lot of plans and I hope
these schools stay open,” he said.
Rachlis said he and Williams will
be visiting SDHS students
Wednesday morning to allow them
an opportunity to talk about the
issue.
“It’s a very stressful time for them
and they will imagine the worst.
Even the teachers are feeling pretty
badly.about this. If the closure is
passed, we’ll get into the transition
of talking about that,” he said.
WINGHAM & DISTRICT
HOSPITAL HIGHLIGHTS
NEW FUNDING:
One time funding for diabetes education was recently granted from the Ministry
of Health for Jan., Feb., and March 2000. The Diabetes Nurse Educator will now
be working 2 full days per week, generally Monday and Tuesday. The Dietician
will be counseling patients 2 days per week also, usually Tuesdays and
Thursdays. A doctor’s referral is required for these services. To make an
appointment call the nurse at ext 362 or the dietician at ext. 275.
DIABETES EDUCATION:
This education program is for patients with diabetes and their families. The next
set of classes will be held on Tuesdays, January 18 & 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00
p.m. A physician’s referral is required to attend. Contact the Diabetes Education
staff at 357-3210, ext. 362 for further information.
Note: Please enter the hospital by the Admitting/Visitor’s entrance.
NEW HEALTH CARDS:
Ministry of Health staff will be at the hospital on Wednesday, January 19th to
register or to replace your health card for:
• new residents of Ontario
• lost, damaged or stolen cards
• marriage or surname changes
Three original documents are required and appointments must be made. Call the
Outreach Coordinator at 519-893-4059.
HOSPITAL AUXILIARY:
The next regular meeting will be held on January 24,2000 at 1:30 p.m. in the
Board Room.
CHOLESTEROL EDUCATION:
This program is designed to help people identify foods that assist in reduction of
blood cholesterol. The next class is scheduled for January 26, 2000 from 2:00 to
3:30 p.m. A physician’s referral is required. To register, contact C. Dolmage at
ext. 275.
Note: Please enter the hospital by the Admitting/Visitor’s entrance.
REMINDER:
To visitors and non-emergency patients: Please use the hospital’s
Admitting/Visitor’s entrance rather than the Emergency entrance.
LONG SERVICE AWARDS:
The Hospital Board of Governors is pleased to recognize long service employees
for their dedication and service to the hospital and to the community. Board
Chairperson, Bob Pike and the leadership staff presented long service awards on
December 14th to the following employees:
Full Time Staff:
35 Years
Reg O’Hagan, Ambulance Director
Edna Mae Armstrong, Medical Records
25 Years
Joan Adams, Nursing
Doug Barfoot, Housekeeping
Rosemary LaRose, Nursing
20 Years
Jeff Taylor, Accounting
Kathy McCracken,
Nutrition & Food Services
15 Years
Carol Watson, Secretary, Finance Services
Bob Sangster, Maintenance
10 Years
Elizabeth Phelan, Clinical Leader, Nursing
Sharen Zinn, laundry
Mark Borrmann, Ambulance
Janet Caesar, Housekeeping
5 Years
Sally Brownell, Laboratory
Phone: 357-3210 Fax: 357-2931
While presenting “the big picture,”
Rachlis said decreasing enrolment
translates into a $1 million loss in
revenue this year, a figure that was
earlier estimated at $600,000.
“The $600,000 was a very conser
vative estimate which we revised.
The number came in well over
$900,000,” he said.
He reiterated that school closures
save money in duplicated services
and infrastructure and said the board
has done everything it can to save
money, short of closing schools.
“If the schools close, sometime
into next fall, you’ll feel better about
your new location,” he said.
Part-Time/Casual Staff
20,000 Hours
Ruth Anne Bushell,
Nutrition & Food Services
Mary Ann Curzon, Nursing
15,000 Hours
Sharon McDougall, Nursing
Catherine Stewart, Laboratory Secretary
Sharon Vincent, Switchboard
Elsie Jenkins, Nursing
Marian Hallahan, Nursing
10,000 Hours
Andrea Hamilton, Nursing
Marianna Porter, Diagnostic Imaging
Janet Haines, Switchboard
Syke Sutherland, Switchboard
Mary Shaw, Nutrition & Food Services
Joyce Adams, Nutrition & Food Services
Wanda Connor, Housekeeping
Dorothea Ducharme, Housekeeping
5,000 Hours
Tharon Riley, Ambulance
Brenda Johnston-Hanna, Nursing
Catherine Turner, Nursing
Sheila Cousins, Ward Clerk
E-Mail: winghosp@wcl.on.ca