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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1998-02-18, Page 1Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 - Seaforth, Ontario February 18, 1998 - $1.00 includes GST Seaforth, Clinton -councils to explore. ontrolhn co-sts. BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff Seaforth Council has initi- ated an exploratory .get. together get- together with its counterpart in Clinton. - The two councils meet next Thursday (Feb. 26) -"to dis- cuss areas of common inter- est.". perhaps contracts, par- ticularly in the area.of con- trolling some joint costs, says Seaforth clerk/administrator Jim -Crocker. For example. both towns,_ run sewage lagoons and there might he some savings to he had there; hc.explains. The talks arc completely outside of any amalgamation discussions the two munici- palities have_shared within the now -dormant Central Huron restructuring commit- tee. in which Goderich was also a memhcr plus four "rural" townships. Crocker says. if successful, the common -interest, cost- sharing concept cciuld possi- bly he expanded to perhaps . include the other "urban" centre along Highway 8 in the CHRI. group. • -Huron County formally - decided to assume the lead in a county -wide restructuring • initiative earlier this month. By strange weather ��- Syrup threatened Kim Smith has her face painted with Olympic symbols by Kristie Moran Seaforth District High School peer mentors who helped out BY GREGOR CAMPBELL at the family skating party for Take Heart Huron activities guided by the Huron Heart Health Network. The Family Skating party also had displays- on healthy snacks as well as clowns and games to increase people's awareness of their lifpstylc relating 10 heart health. Expositor Staff (Fitton photo) - Remote chance board Thc unscasonahly balmy weather we've been having in the -middle of this winter may play havoc with this Vfundingobtain reliefJ"Some of the sap is already Superintendent of Business and himself to the Ministry of Education and Training :a'sk- ing for help. , • '.'As noted, it docs not appear that the ministry...mill respond to any aspect of our pmhlem related to the use of reserves and the 1996 over - levy .to support the operating budget." Carroll stated in his information report. Thc director added although ,there was "a remote chance" for consideration_of funding based on the 'undue burden' the AMDSB faces' as a low spending board. "it ig thc director's opinion that such support will not be forthcom- ing."•. However..oll continued BY TRISH WiLKINSON SSP News Staff CLINTON - Although there is still a remote chance the Avon Maitland District School Board (AMDSB) might he able to obtain fund - ing relief for their stub year between the two Huton and shortfall, hoard officials Perth MPPs, the chair of the aren't holding their breath. board and himself fto discuss Paul Carroll, director of the $1.8 million shortfall. education. stated to trustees at Carroll added that this the Feb. 10 hoard - meeting meeting follows a recent pre- . that "an arrangement was wifoldinc" for a mectint septation - by the Junior kindergai'teh continues BY TRISH WILKINSON CLINTON - Trustees for the Avon Maitland District School Board (AMDSB) have confirmed that junior kinder- gauen will continue in Huron -schools for at least one more year. Beyond that. however. the fate of the program remains in . question as the hoard once again deferred the decision on whether or not to implement junior kindergarten in- Perth or eliminate it all together. - Associate Director of -Education John Patterson asked trustees at the Feb. 10 hoard meeting to at least con- firm that they supported the continuation of junior kinder- garten in Huron for the school year 1998-99. Hc noted that Welfare caseload drops dramatically Thc. social services case load continues to decrease significantly in Huron County. Cases issued decreased 20.69 per cent (493 to 391) in thc 12 months leading up to November 1997. and benefi- ciaries issued decreased 23.65 per centin the same year, 1108 to 846. The statistics were part of thc social service administra- tor's report to Huron County council, included in this' month's information pack- age. Fewer white beans ,will impact Huron "The predicted 35 per cent drop in Ontario's white bean - crop acreage will have a pro- found effect" here. according to fast month's report by Huron County Council's agriculture and public works committee. "The white bean is in direct competition with soybeans and corn," this report states. "The current price of $17.50 bag is far below the market revenue plan guarantee of $26.16/bag." it would he of some assis_. oration he provided with tancc • if the hoard could •decide whether or not they were- "definitely behind that much." A majority of the hoard • agreed they were. and despite trustee Bob llan.ahstaining from the vo c. the hoard pro- ceeded to pass the motion with seven of the eight remaining members suppbrt- ing the decision. "I lave been inundated with calls and letters supporting junior kindergarten in Huron County.".' Trustee Colleen Schenk stated before the motion was passed. Chair Abby Armstrong, the only trustee to vote against junior kindergarten, noted that she couldn't support the motion because she didn't feel it was the best program available. Armstrong asked for the motion to he amended to state that junior kindergarten become a Grade 1 readiness program. an amendment which was defeated. Dircctor of Education Paul Carroll added later that the board is required to deliver the junior kindergarten program man- dated through the province. Trustees also concluded that the broader future of junior kindergarten will take more time • to decide. Currently Huron schools offer blended junior kindergarten and senior kindergarten in each elementary school in the district. Meanwhile, in 1996 the Perth •board cancelled a junior kindergarten program, set to enter the third year of a four year implementation pro- gram. because funding was not availahlc. This is the same decision trustees deferred at the Jan. 27 board meet( in Stratford because, the boa t they needed more information. "(Trustees) acted to refer thc matter of further imple- menting junior kindergarten to (thc Feb. 10 meeting) with the request that further infor- respect- to staffing 'needs. accommodation needs. train- ing needs. equipment needs and any relevant costing," Carroll stated in his informa- tion report. Carroll also noted in this report that, although many of these facts and figures have since been presented to trustees. they might wish for additional information before making their decision. "Trustees will no doubt wish to receive more informa- tion about funding heron: making any decisions. The date that this information may he received is. as yet. uncer- tain," Carroll- noted. adding that trustees may also wish to "gather comment from par- ents andstaff about the possi- bility of rcimplementing junior kindergarten in thc Eastern (Perth) Schools," t • gonc.wc vc lost some of it. say's, Barh ,Stoi•cy.of RR J Seaforth. who adds sales of last year's syrup.arc booming hecausc people arc afraid this year's crop won't.bc-anything to writrhomc about. The devastating Ice storm Quebec experienced recently may also he affecting this - season's demand here. - That 'province •was the number one maple syrup producer in the ' world, but iwmay, take 10 to "12 years to replace the trees that were damaged, with the ice there and hang them hack _ on line for maple syrup pro- duction. Barh and Ray Storey tap - about 900 trees in McKillop Township. _ Thc quality of this year's crop remains a question mark. Thcy havc•thcir fingers. •crossed. and their eves on the -• forecast. • Thc gallon of sap the • Storeys tested last week had a sugar content of four and- one-half per cent. which they. say is okay. - "The higher the better." Barh says. Thcy haven't fited up the shack and started to make syrup yet. and hope to get at it. as usual. by the end of this month. , But the Iorecast for later this week is for more unsca- sonahly - warm and •wet weather. - You need warm sunny 'days and frosty nights' for the hest quality crop. the Storeys say. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of syrup. - Break, enter and theft in his report, certain expenses spree as the town slept related to thc cost of amalga- mation will he eligible for consideration under the yet - to -he -announced 'transition assistance' program. "Members of the Executive and Administrative Councils have been instructed toi isolate such costs as already budget- ed and as projected to meet future needs," he stated. Carroll added that the =cl- ing with Huron MPi' Helen Johns and Perth MPP Ben Johnson will pick up on, these matters. BY JANE POWELL Expositor Co-op Student Several hrcak. enters acid thefts occurcd on Birch Street, in thc - early hours of February 6. All six hrcak and enters involved the use of a pry -bar to gain access to each loca- tion. ` From the neginning of the street, at 14 Birch Street. Kelly's- Auto Body Shop. $50 damage was done to the 'main door with a pry -bar. $5 in change was stolen. Further down the street at 26 Birch Strcect. Kelly' -s Auto Sales was broken into using a pry -bar. again. caus- , ing $50 damage to the from door. No money was found. but two "Shap -On" brand • pry -bars worth $25 each were . -stolen. Thc Seaforth Fire continued on Page 3. George Earle, left, received a 40- year- pin while Gordon Dclong received a 35- ycar -pin during the Seaforth Branch 156 honors and awards banquet. Royal Canadian Legion (Fitton photo'