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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1995-04-19, Page 1•�wEilluron xpos ltO 70 cents plus 5 cents G.S.T. (75 cents) AGRICULTURE Hundreds of people visited Seaforth for Slice of Huron. see photos inside. L Briefly Police say foul play possible Just over one year ago 74 - year -old Patrick Harold Smith told his neighbor he was going out for a drink. He got into his car and drove off, heading east on Centre Street, in Zurich and was never seen again. "He had spoken to the lady this neighbor). He was in a good mood," said Exeter OPP constable Rick Borden, who has been investigating officer on the case since Smith disappeared, April 14, 1994. A check of the area bars turned up no sign of Smith, said Borden. Although they initially treated the disappearance as a missing person case, Borden said police have switched to "focusing on the probability that it was foul play." The fact Smith's red, four - door, 1990 Plymouth Acclaim (Licence PZT 138) was never found is one of the reasons police now believe Smith met i th foul play. The. unusual scenario is that his vehicle has not surfaced after Jill this time," said Borden. -That's not consistent with a missing person's case." OPP helicopters have been used on two separate occasions, searching all of Huron County by. air, focusing particularly on bodies of water in which a vehicle might' have ended up. As well, members of a local flying club have been alerted and have been watching for signs of Smith's vehicle. Although the trail quickly grew cold and police found few leads in their search for Smith, Borden said the investigation hasn't been put on the back -burner. "It's an on-going investigation, • quite an active investigation actually," he said. Smith, who lived alone (he is separated from his wife, who still lives in the area) wasn't reported missing to police until May 2, 1994, 17 days after he was last seen driving away from Itis Centre Street residence. Police went public with news of die disappearance with a press release on May 13, the same day the first helicopter search of the area was conducted. Smith is described 5 ft 8 inch, 209 pounds, with brown eyes and white hair. Brussels -area man killed in mishap An 86 -year-old Brussels -area man, who police say they believe was lying on Highway 4, was killed early Sunday morning when run over by a tractor - trailer. Dead is Edward Cummings of RR 5 Brussels. Police say he was hit in the southbound lane near Wingham by a tractor -trailer driven by a Hanover man. INDEX Entertainment... page 17. Sports...page 11. Rec Preview...page 17. "Your community newspaper since 1860...serving Seaforth, Dublin, Hensall, Walton, Brussels and surrounding communities." The Huron Expositor, Seaforth, Ontario, April 19, 1995 tllq Investment and Tax Planning "Seaforth ° RRSP Specialists" olnuestmeri Centre 96 Main St., Seaforth 527-0420 SPORTS A Seaforth girl was one of eight nominees for Stratford athlete of year award. see page three. This space could be yours! Call 527-0240 agar ENVIRONMENT Huron takes part in.); Earth Day events. see page eight. THE LAST SUPPER - Father Tony Del Ciancio portrayed Jesus as students in the grade two First Communion class at St. I IM CUMMING PHOTO Columban School told the biblical story of The Last Supper. The students performed the play on Thursday during Easter. Trustees quarrel over budget increase BY MICHELE GREENE Advocate Staff Separate school trustees approved a two per cent budget increase but four trustees felt it should have been higher. Last Wednesday night, trustees on the Huron -Perth Roman Catholic Separate School Board approved the $30.4 million budget for 1995 at a special board meet- ing in Dublin. The two per cent budget increase is a result of $465,000 designated to upgrading computer equipment. Last year, the board spent $290,000 in this area. Clinton area trustee and board chairperson Louise Martin, Stratford Trustee Michael Dack, Wingham area Trustee Vincent McInnes, and Zurich area trustee and board vice -chairperson Michael Miller voted against the budget, arguing a four per cent budget increase would be finan- cially responsible. Martin, Miller, and McInnes are members of the management committee which worked on the budget before it was brought to the board. However, not all trustees agreed. Both Mitchell and area Trustee Dennis O'Reilly and Fullarton/Ellice and area Trustee Ben Brown favored the two per cent budget increase. Historically, Trustee Brown said the separate board had a higher tax levy than the Huron County Board of Education and the Perth County Board of Education. This year, it may have a lower levy but trustees shouldn't take advantage of that and assume people have the money to pay it to the separate board as well. "I see it as an opportunistic money grab," said Trustee Brown. He also said it was difficult sup- porting a two per cent budget increase when he knew the board could get by with a zero per cent hike. "People have not had salary increases. I don't think it would be fair to give them a four per cent budget increase," said Trustee O'Reilly. Although the board brought in "bare bones" budgets in the past, Trustee Dack felt the board was "cutting into the bone" with this one. Chairperson Martin said the restructuring the board has done in the past was necessary but the board should prepare for more cutbacks from the provincial gov- emment, capital improvements to schools, and other increasing costs coming rn the next year. "We have to be aware we could cut too much. I fear we are not being ethically or fiscally respon- sible," she said. Trustee O'Reilly said there is no indication that the buildings are in such bad shape that they require immediate attention. Seaforth area Trustee Gerry Ryan supported the two per cent budget increase, saying the board could offset provincial cutbacks with the anticipated increased stu- dent enrolment and assessment. By building St. Anne's Catholic Secondary School in Clinton, which opens this fall, the board will be able to educate its own stu- dents rather than paying $303,000 annually in tuition fees to the Huron board to educate them in the public secondary schools. "I can't understand why we would go to the taxpayer for more than we think we need for some - Former 'Woman of Year' to speak in Huron One of the most powerful and influential business journalists in the country will speak on the future of Canada at the Knights of Columbus Centre in Goderich on Wednesday, April 26. A Goderich and District Chamber of Commerce presentation, Diane Francis will speak on Canada 2005. The charismatic editor of the Financial Post, Francis is read by millions and has become one of County the most popular speakers in Canada today. In 1992, Chatelaine Magazine named Francis 'Women of the Year', calling her "un ble" for her shoot -from -the -flip, no holds -barred style of journalism. Fracis writes 15 different columns a month, and is also the author of four bestselling books on business, including A Matter of Survival, The Diane Francis Inside Guide to Canada's 50 Best Stocks and Contrepreneurs thing we don't know will come. We're asking them to give it to us 'just in case,"' he argued. "We're cutting things a little tight. I think the local ratepayer could live with a four per cent increase," said Trustee McInnes. At a public meeting at St. Patrick's School, Dublin, on April 10, Trustee Miller said one of the 16 parents present warned trustees about cutting the budget too tight. He added that he wasn't proud to admit that the separate board had the lowest cost per pupil in the province. "It's good be the lowest in Ontario. I feel no pride when I have to tell my children and their classmates we're educating them with less money than anyone else," he said. Stratford Trustee Ron Marcy, chairperson of the management committee which presented the budget, stood by his budget in the face of the opposition. There is a $139,500 increase, or 0.9 per cent, in staffing because of increased enrolment and the reduction of teaching and consul- tants. `The board is now debt free as it made its final $85,000 pay- ment on St. Michael Catholic Secondary School in Stratford. For St. Columban and St. Patrick's School in Dublin, $446,700 is budgeted for additions and reno- vations already underway. Part of this project is funded through the Canada/Ontario Infrastructure pro- gram. Trustees budgeted $500,000 for the completion of St. Anne's by September 1995. No deben- tures for these two capital projects will be required. Tat CUMMI VG vivre EGG-SIT1NGI - Two-year-old Veronica Klaver and four-year-old Samantha Klaver, of RR 5 Seaforth, found k was good hunting for Easter Annual Easteat r E e Seth Business Improvement Association Police board secretary resigns BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff The secretary of Seaforth's Police Services Board resigned at Wednesday night's regular meeting. Jim Crocker gave no reasons for his resignation. He will be replaced by Carol Ann Campbell on a temporary basis and the position will be reviewed in October. The Board spent most of the four- hour meeting in closed session with the Seaforth Police Association successfully negotiating various contract agreements. These should ensure smooth sailing for both sides at the disbandment hearing later this month, as Seaforth moves towards dotting the "i"s and crossing the "t"s in a contract agreement with the Ontario Provincial Police. The switchover is scheduled for the end of September. After negotiations the local police board announced it had reached a severance agreement with civilian special constable Pam Soontiens, and agreed on terms of severance with the association's three uniformed officers. Negotiations were necessary about matters such as holidays and banked overtime, because the • Seaforth association had a 12 -month contract that will only last nine this year, because the OPP is scheduled to take over for the final three months of 1995. Representatives from the Ontario Solicitor General's office also attended Wednesday's meeting. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Before going into closed session the Seaforth police board, fine- tuned its final budget with Chief Hal Claus as far as possible without knowing the outcome of negotiations later in the evening, with Commissioner Bill Teall repeatedly stressing obligations under the Social Contract. The board had budgeted for $411,853 this year, which includes a $49,000 transfer to its reserve fund for a severance package and $5,000 contingency fund. This compares to actual expenditures of $332,639 in 1994, against a budgeted $338,989. Chief Claus informed the board -that its commitment to the 1995-96 RIDE program required no matching funding and did not commit it to subsequent years. Cruiser imaintenance was also discussed, and the police chief reported the crossing guard at St. James School resigned and had been replaced by Mike Duffey, as of March 27. Municipal tax frozen in town There will be no increase in the municipal portion of Seaforth tax rates this year. Council approved its 1995 budget providing for a 0 per cent increase at last Tuesday's regular meeting, setting a commercial mill rate of 13.14720 for 1995, and residential mill rate of 11.17512 for a total of $817,859 to be raised by taxation this year. Seaforth has budgeted for $1,578,080 in total revenue for 1995 against total expenditures of 52,471,555 and a projected deficit (previous surplus) of 575,616, with 5817,859 to be raised by taxes. The comparable figures for the 1994 budget were: total revenue, 51,330,724; total expenditures, $2,192,173; projected deficit (previous surplus), $62,718; to be raised by taxes, $798,731. General govemment accounts for the largest portion of Seaforth's budgeted 1995 expenditures at 5476,815, with police services next at 5411,853, followed by environmental services at 5366,165, transportation services at S282,170 and recreational and cultural services at $104,632.