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'