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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1994-04-27, Page 1Your Full Line Dealer Hu xpOsito ron � • 65 cents plus 5 cents G.S.T. (70 cents) SPORTS Junior hockey players earn the importance of team -work, said Scott Driscoll, OPP NHL linesman. see page eight. Briefly Man stable after vehicle rolls over J A Seaforth man was in stable condition Tuesday after his vehicle rolled over on him early Saturday moming. Goderich O.P.P. said David Akey, 24, was westbound on McKillop Township Road 2-3 at about 12:55 a.m. when his vehicle went into the ditch about 1 km west of County Road 12. Akey was thrown from the car. He was taken to Seaforth Community Hospital with seri- ous injuries. The car sustained major damage. Minor injuries in Hibbert accident A Staffa teen suffered minimal injuries in an accident which demolished her vehicle. Sebringville OPP reported that Jennifer McCaughey, 17, of RR 2, Staffa, was eastbound on Perth County Road 16 in Hibbert Township last Wednesday at 4:55 p.m. Just east of Hibbert Sideroad 20, her vehicle dropped off the edge of the pavement, losing control on the gravel and it rolled. The 1994 Sunbird she was driving was demolished. Crime Stoppers seeks help in school break-in St. Columban was broken into on Feb. 19-20 and the following items were stolen. 1 - Panasonic Model AG-1230VCR, serial number - L8KN00017. 1 - Sony radio, model CFS -W304 serial number 0029535. 1 - Polaroid camera, Mod. 660LMS. Also CRA -VAC Industries of 7th Ave. Vanastra was broken into sometime between Feb. 26 and Feb. 28 and the culprits stole a red crow bar, two flashlights and a five pound hammer. Vandals do more damage at local business . About $1,200 damage was done by vandals Apr. 23 to two signs at Vincent Farm Equip- ment Ltd., reported the Goderich O.P.P. on Tuesday. Police said rocks were thrown through two lighted signs, one a `Sea-doo' sign and the other a 'Kawasaki' sign that were sus- pended on a pole. Correction In a story that appeared in last week's paper, it was incorrectly reported that Anstett's Jewellers in Seaforth was now open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The store is open Wednesday through Satur- day at the above hours. The Iluron Expositor apologizes for the error. INDEX Sports...page 8, 9. Obituaries...page 7. Entertainment ...pages 18, 19. "Your community newspaper since 1860 -serving Seaforth, Dublin, Hensall, Walton, Brussels and surrounding communities." MILTON J. DIETZ LIMITED SEAFORTH 522-0608 • • Pesticides & Custom Spraying • Spraying Equipment & Parts • Nutrite Premium Fertilizer • Ventilation & Livestock Equipment t�l [Jul PURINA FEEDS • & PET FOODS HURON EXPOSITOR, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1994. EDUCATION Author Richard Thompson has been a cook and an artist before writing. see page 13. FORD] Sales - Service - Selection HART FORD MERCURY USED CARS MAIRDWAVAIMMIEMOWORTRATMOMil 'The Friendly D. &a With The 819 Heart' TIM CtnMNG PHOTO NEW FRIENDS - Three-year-old Caitlin Russell (at far right) gives her stuffed bunny rabbit to a resident of Seaforth Manor Nursing Home, who gives the animal a hug white other residents look on. Education faces huge tax hike BY DON JACKSON Huron County public school taxpayers could be facing an increase of roughly 6.1 per cent in their education mill rate, despite board efforts to bring the rate down to zero by making $2.5 million in cuts to their spending at a March 9 special meeting. The Huron County Board of Education can either protect the taxpayer from Ontario decisions or preserve a down -sized school system, Director Paul Carroll told board members at a special board estimates meeting Monday night. Grants upset Separate Board BY MICHELE GREENE The grants to school boards are finally 1n and they aren't good news for the Huron -Perth Roman Catholic Separate School Board. Gerald Thuss, superintendent of business, said the Catholic board learned last week that its grant from the government is $400,000 less than last year's rant. Trustees expected to release its budget today (Wednesday). However, they decided to take an additional two weeks to access the impact of this shortfall before releasing the budget. "For two years, this board has had a zero budget increase. It has absorbed the reduction of grants in past years. Now, the question is can we still do this?" he said. Trustees will look at all their revenue and expenses and make cuts anywhere they can to avoid an increase, said Thuss. No specific areas have been targeted for cuts, he said explaining that any cuts will be spread across the system. Thuss said the grants from the government have been getting later and later each year. Normally, they should be available by February or March. Municipalities are frustrated with school boards because they haven't set their levy, Until the board determines their levies, the municipalities can't set their mill rates. "Municipalitibs are looking to set their mill rates but we haven't had the information. When we only receive the information a week ago, it's difficult to put it all together," he said. He added that the board would prefer setting its levy sooner and sympathizes with the position in which the delay places the municipalities. (-M.G.) The meeting was called to study the 1994 General Legislative Grants (GLGs) from the Province of Ontario. Prior to their release on April 15, the board was pri- marily worried about an increase in the standard mill rate. The standard mill rate is what the province uses to determine how much of the per -pupil grant - the single largest grant the board gets - comes from the province and how much comes from the local taxpayers. The good news is that this fig- ure is down and that the ceiling for the per -pupil grant is up. All the province's school boards deal with a situation where the prov- ince pays a certain percentage of the cost of educating a student up to a certain point. All school boards exceed this level and the amount over ceiling comes entire- ly from local tax dollars. By rais- ing the ceiling, the province is taking responsibility for a higher level of the spending necessary to educate students. see Assessment, back page Crowd debates new school BY DON JACKSON More than 200 people came out to ask questions and express opinions as the Central Huron Secondary School's (CHSS) Parents' Liaison Committee held a meeting on the proposal to create a Catholic secondary school within the existing school. A panel was set up with executive members of the Huron County " Board of Education (HCBE), the Huron -Perth County Roman Catholic Separate School Board (H-PCRCSSB) and the parents' liaison committee to state their opinions and answer ques- tions. Audrey McClennan of the liaison committee stated, "The Parents' Liaison Committee does not want this school divided. Other attempts to divide existing schools did not work. This is a chance to tell your trustees what you think. If they don't listen, remember you have a vote and there's an election this fall." Both HCBE Director Paul Car- roll and Chair Graeme Craig made preliminary comments about the proposal. Both H-PCRCSSB Director Dr. James Brown and Chair Louise Martin declined to make opening comments. see Legal, back page. MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS io One of Seaforth's l new councillors gives his impressions on the workings of • Seaforth council. • see page two. ,,Build Catholic school, some residents demand BY MICHELE GREENE A hostile minority of public taxpayers in Huron County convinced Catholic trustees to build a high school whether they have an agreement from the Huron County Board of Education or not. At its March 28 meeting, the Huron -Perth Roman Catholic Separate School board voted to proceed with a Catholic high school in Huron County subject to a suitable agreement with the Huron County Board of Education and to funding from the Ministry of Education and Training. The board intended to share the Central Huron Secondary School. On Monday, trustees agreed to remove these two conditions and intend to proceed with the Catholic high school to open in 1995, without an agreement from the Huron board and without provincial funding if necessary. Wingham area Trustee Vince McInnes said the parents who called a meeting in Clinton last week opposing the plan "scared us." It made trustees realize that if that feeling was shared by the Huron board, it might be impossible to reach an agreement with the board. Then, the Catholic high school might not become a reality. Dr. James Brown, director of education, said the parents at the meeting had hostile feelings toward the idea but he doesn't believe they represent the majority of people in the county. This change in policy gives the board more freedom to explore other options. Dr. Brown said trustees can now look at. sharing facilities with another school in the county or even building its own building. "Early estimates show that it may be more expensive to renovate the school than to build our own," said Dr. Brown. Renovation more costly than building? The board would have to move gas and water lines in the Clinton school in order to renovate some of the regular classrooms into science labs. Also, if the school expanded, it would have buy surrounding property which already has buildings on it. Dr. Brown said it is less expensive to buy land with no buildings present. Dr. Brown said no option have been ruled out including the choice of putting the school in Clinton. "There appears to be a hostile climate among some people. If that continues, the board would have to decide if [Clinton is] the best place to build," he said. Although trustees were happy , about dropping the requirement of an agreement with the Huron board, Trustee McInnes wanted to keep the clause which would make the project subject to provincial funding. "If the ratepayers thought that they would totally fund a high school without government funding, they would think twice," he said. Vice -chairperson Mike Miller, of the Zurich area, said many ratepayers in his area reported in a survey that they would send their children to the school. "I know money is a big issue but I think there is enough interest from people who will put their money where their mouth is," he said. McInnes said there are an awful lot more ratepayers than parents and they wouldn't all favor completely funding a secondary; school. Chairperson Louise Martin said she spoke to ratepayers who don't have children and they are most enthusiastic about the plan. Separate schooT trustees question wording of survey The wording of a parents' survey on the two-week March Break didn't please all trustees. At Monday night's Huron - Perth Roman Catholic Separate School Board, a Mitchell area trustee didn't think the board should tell parents what suits their day care needs. Trustee Ben Brown, who represents four townships between Mitchell and Stratford, disagreed with the wording of the survey which said the board believes the two-week break better suits the childcare needs of parents. Chairperson Louise Martin said that conclusion was based on results on a survey sent to parents before the new March Break. Dr. James Brown, director of education, said the board opted for the two -break because it rearranged professional development days to better suit teachers and parents. He said childcare is easy to provide In a one-week block instead of individual days scattered throughout the year. The surveys will be sent to parents in early May. Services for elderly, disabled will change BY JOAN SPITTAL During the past three years there are major changes taking place in Ontario with respect to long-term care services. Long-term Care services are these which are currently provided by nursing homes, homes for the aged, visiting nurses, homemakers, adult day centres, Alzheimer programs, attendant care services, and palliative care. Persons who arc eligible for such services include the frail elderly, adults with a physical disability, or persons with a chronic illness, who cannot look after all their own needs independently. Ontario has developed an excel- lent range of long-term care ser- vices over a period of time. The present service system is limited, however, in its ability to respond efficiently and effectively to per- sons and their families who need long-term care services. Consumers are often faced with a confusing array of fragmented and uncoordi- nated services - often with differing eligibility requirements, mandates and types of funding. The Ontario govemment has asked each community to plan and develop a new system of long-term care services which will best meet the unique needs and preferences of each community. In Huron County, this planning process for long -Term Care reform has begun. Planning committees have been formed in five areas throughout the county. Representa- tives from each area have been selected to participate in the Huron County Long -Term Care Planning Committee, which meets monthly. Each of the five local planning groups provides advise and direc- tion to the representatives to the Huron County Long -Term Care Planning Committee:— -- Planning ommittee:-- Planning has begun iu Huron County to develop a multi -service agreement which will best reflect the needs and preferences of the community. The East Huron Advis- System can meet local needs ory group will be meeting on Thursday, April 28, 1994 at 10 a.m. at the Seaforth Community Hospital to discuss the best way to plan and develop a multi -service agency (or multiple agencies) for Huron County. The East Huron Advisory Com- mittee, representing Seaforth and area, has been meeting on a month- ly basis since the fall of 1993. Local representatives to the Huron County Long -Term Care Planning Committee are as follows: Anne James, Consumer Representative; Helen McLean, Consu?ner Alter- nate; Chief Hal Claus, Representa- tive of the 'Others' category; and Rev. James Sloan, 'Other' Alter- nate. Chief Claus has recently been selected to the position of Chairperson to the Huron County Long -Term Care Planning Commit- tee. In addition, Yvonne Kitchen, Chief Nursing officer, Seaforth Community Hospital, is representa- tive for the five hospitals in Huron County to the Huron County Long - Term Care Planning Committee. Under long -Term Care reform, multi -service agencies will be estab- lished in each community through- out Ontario to provide a single point of entry for consumers into the long-term care service system. The multi -service agreement will ensure that consumcrs have easy access to a broad selection of long- term care services. Anyone who is interested in hav- ing a say in Long -Term Care reform in general and the creation of a multi -service agency in Huron County in particular is asked to attend Thursday's meeting. Community participation is essential in the long-term Care reform process. • Joan Spittal is chair of the East Iluron Long -Term Care Advisory committee.