Loading...
The Huron Expositor, 1998-09-16, Page 1EEX n OSltO]C� p Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 — Seaforth, Ontario Mortgaging its future? Diocese wants parish to reconsider BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff A building docs not neces- sarily a "church" make, even it' St. Columhan Parish is one of the oldest in this province, according to the Diocese of London It wants the nearby parish to think again about repairing its Roman Catholic church, closed since last September because of serious structural problems. "Sirnply put, our concern is that the money needed to repair the huilding is beyond the means of your parish community," an Aug. 28 let- ter to parishioners from Rev. R. Anthony Daniels, modera- tor of the curia, states. "With other opportunities available to you to celebrate your faith through clustering, we believe that your financial donations' will he better used to enhance your future rather than mortgage your future," "Clustering" is adjacent parishes sharing the same pastor. St. Columhan Parish dates from 1832. Its first small log church was built in 1858, and thc big brick church that was fenced off for liability rea- sons about a year ago origi- nally replaced another struc- ture destroyed by fire in 1909. The parish had 98 families with 319 members in April, Ninty-six per cent of those attending a packed meeting at the St. Columban School gym that month decided to repair thcir "first Catholic Church on thc Huron Tract," subject to diocese approval, after considering a 72 -page feasibility study prepared by a parish cornrnittce, chaired by Jack Lane. FIRST REPORT RIGHT For that study, C.A. Vcntin Architect Ltd. and Sze Straka Engineers Ltd. estimated thc cost of repairing thc church at roughly $398,860, well under thc $696,615 first estimated by Godcrich architect Alan Avis in another study after the church was fenced off for liability reasons. That first study was closer to the truth, according to thc diocese. "While some in thc parish have promoted the idea that thc Diocese of London has attempted to deceive the parishioners by using an untrue report indicating that thc structure of thc church was unsafe for occupancy and therefore closing thc huilding to parishioners, we have now received indepen- dent confirmation that thc initial report was correct," according Fr. Daniels' recent letter. it's possible for parish- ioners to re-enter the church after estimated repairs of $50,0(X), it notes. "However, we are all aware that this expenditure is only the beginning. "Cost estimates for a per- manent solution to the physi- cal condition of the church have been presented to be in thc range of $400,000 to $800,000. A comparison of the work needed in St. Columban with work done elsewhere in the diocese indi- cates that the estimates on thc higher end of the scale should be expected," this letter con- tinues. Clustering has been suc- cessful in thc three parishes, the diocese states. The process "can and will provide a spiritual home I'or the parishioners of all three communities even without a church building in St. Columhan. Already this is happening." CHAIR RESIGNS Matt Clacssens was chair of the parish advisory commit- tee five months ago when the decision was made to pro- ceed with repairs. He has since resigned because of the stress. "It's a sensitive and emo- tional issue but we must deal with reality," says St. Columban's priest, Fr. Tony DclCiancio, who is also pas- tor of St. Patrick's in Dublin and St. Vincent de Paul in Mitchell, the other parishes in thc cluster. He says only a pastor and its bishop officially speak for a parish in the Catholic faith. In the year since St. Columban closed, the majori- ty of parishioners have been worshipping at St. Patrick's, where another weekly mass has hecn added. A repaired and re -opened church would require $75,000 annually in operat- ing expenses, or $46.53 weekly from each of the parish's 34 donors who sup- port the project, according to figures in the letter from the diocese, not counting the estimated $25,806 per family required for an $800,000 rebuild, or $12,903 per fami- ly for a $400,000 rchuild. if the parish's 65 regular donors in 1997 are used as a basis, thc weekly donation for operating needs works out to $22.18 per donor, in addi- tion to $12,300 per family for an $800,000 rchuild or $6,150 for a $4.00,000 rchuild. If the parish's 98 potential donors are used, the weekly operating donation is $14.72, on top of the $8,160 per fam- ily for an $800,000 rebuild or $4,080 for a $400,000 rchuild. RESOLVE & HEALING Accompanying the letter from the diocese to parish- ioners is another from Fr. DclCiancio, "upon the direc- tion of Bishop J.M. Sherlock," asking for each family in the church's St. Columba!) community to CONTINUED on Page 5. September 16, 1998 — $1.00 includes GST VISITING DIGNITARIES - Phongsak Phltak, deputy director general, and Bhairote Brohmsarn, director general, of Thailand's Ministry of Interior greet Thal students who are on exchange in the area, and the students and families they are billeting with, at the Agriplex In Seaforth last week. Thai youths paired in area Paded Boonnama is from Lophuri, about 200 km north of Bangkok in Thailand but he's spending about three months in Huron County to learn about Canadian agricul- tural practices through Canada World Youth. The exchange program has brought nine young people from Thailand and paired them with nine others from across Canada. Farming fami- lies across thc arca have opened thcir doors to thc young people to share family life and work in farming. Padcd and his Canadian partner, Lief Vcrnest of Edmonton are staying with Harry and Leonic Koclen of the Brussels arca where thcy arc working on a pig farm. Padcd, who lives on a rice farm at home, would like to have a pig farm and was inter- ested in learning about it hcrc With a limited hut growing English vocabulary, he said the technology on Canadian farms is part of what has sur- prised him most about the trip. There is far less technology used back home but Paded would like to learn more to possibly have as skills when he returns. "From what I know, farm- ing is really important therc," said Lief. Part of the purpose of the exchange is for both the par- ticipants from Thailand and the Canadians to learn more about each other and thcir cul- tures. The Canadian visit is just part of the exchange that will bring thc Canadians to Thailand this fall with thcir partners. Thcn, it will he thc Canadians' turns to he immersed in a new culture. Lief was interested in learn- ing about a new culture and applied to he part of the World Youth Exchangc. When apply- ing, participants don't know what type of exchange they will be a part of and an agri- culturally focussed exchange was a surprise for him. CONTINUED on Page 3. Brucefield woman facing charges Court hears evidence on crash that killed four youths Was a 21 -year-old Brucefield-area woman dri- ving the car involved in an accident that killed four area youths early on a Sunday morning in November 1996? The trial of Sarah Lcbcau of RR 1 Brucefield continues in Provincial Court at Godcrich. Shc has pled not guilty and is facing 11 charges from thc single -car crash. On Nov. 24, 1996, Lcbcau's white Camaro Icft County Road 31 and crashed at the bottom of an embank- ment just north of Varna. Killed in thc crash were Neal Atchison and Pamela King, both of Clinton; and Brian Hill and Mark Wchstcr both of Stanley Township. Both Lcbcau and Brandon Gardner of Vanastra wcrc seriously injured in thc accident. Shc has pleaded not guilty to four counts of criminal negligence causing death, one count of criminal negli- gence causing bodily harm, four counts of impaired dri- ving causing death, one count of impaired driving causing bodily harm, and impaired driving. Chris McGregor testified Monday before Crown attor- ney Bob Morris that Lebeau Terry Fox Run Sunday by Marty Bedard The annual "Torry Fox Run" for cancer research in Seaforth is this Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. startles s& the com- munity centres. Pledge sheets are, available at the recreation office, arena, Tbwn Hall, PUC office, all banks and the post office. Come out and support this worthy cause. You can run, walk, ride, bike, rollerblade or whatever suits you best. Seaforth has raised $38,161.69 at its Thrry Fox Runs since 1982..1f you are unable to be in town on this day, you might want to take in the run at another area site. Brussels, Exeter, Lucan, St. Marys, Stratford and Zurich all will be hosting runs. For more information on For more information on these area runs or provincial news you can call the provincial office A 416-924-8252 or email them at: ontarioaterryfoxrun.org, o visit the web • was driving when the six youths Icft a going away party for Hill, Webster and David Rathwcll who were to be leaving for Australia a week after the accident occurred. The party was held on that Saturday on the farm of Bev and Shirley Hill, just west of Varna. "We wanted to wish thc guys well in Australia," said McGregor, who helped Wchstcr, Rathwcll and Hill organize the party. Between 150 and 200 peo- ple stopped by the party throughout thc night, McGregor testified. Lchcau arrived at the party at about 10 p.m. and he added that everyone at the party was drinking, dancing, and talk- ing with others there. Photos wcrc also takcn at thc party and wcrc presented to the court. Some showed Lchcau with a beer in her hand and another of her holding a white cup. "NO CONCERNS" Thc majority of the pcoplp at the party started leaving at about 5 a.m. when McGregor said he unplugged the stereo. Himself, his girlfriend Stacey Fleet, Rob Consitt, Greg Taylor, Shannon McClenaghan, King, Atchison, Hill, Gardner, Wchstcr, and Lcbcau wcrc the last ones at the party. Nine of them left at about 5:45 a.m. to go to thc Taylor residence about five kilome- tres from the Hill residence. Consitt, Taylor and McClenghan left in Consitt's vehicle. "i had no concerns about Lebeau's condition when they left," said McGregor, who stayed behind at the Hill residence with Fleet. McGregor testified that Webster was sitting in the hack seat in the middle, Gardner was sitting in thc hack behind thc front passen- ger's scat, King was behind the driver's scat, Hill was in the front passenger's scat, Atchison was sitting on the front console, and Lchcau was in the driver's scat when they left. McGregor said he last saw the car driving towards Varna behind another car that left thc party at the same time. CROSS EXAMINATION During cross examination from Defence lawyer Glenn Carey, McGregor attributed slight discrepancies between his testimony on times things occurred and a statement given on thc day of thc acci- dent to the shock of the whole day. "I remember thc officers coming to the house at shout 8 a.m. hut i don't remember much from that morning other than thcy came to thc house," he said. "The morn- ing's a blur. I had just lost four of my friends, I was in a bit of shock then." Emotional testimony given by Fleet Monday afternoon said she had trouble recalling the level of sobriety of Lebeau. A statement given by Fleet conflicted with Monday's testimony. "I thought she was sober at the start of the evening," she said, adding that she saw Lchcau start to drink at thc party and felt by the end of thc night ,she was finc to drive. "I had no concerns about her driving her car," said Fleet. Fleet also said that Lcbcau often lent her car to family members and in a statement given Nov. 26, she said Lcbcau had once let a friend drive her car because she had too much to drink. Shc also testified that she saw Atchison climb into the car from thc passenger's side and sat in thc middle on the console. Lcbcau was thc last to get into thc car, so Fleet said she assumed it was the driver's scat she was sitting in. CONTINUED on Page 6. Dispute continues in public school system Catholic high school teachers reach interim agreement By Lee Ann Waterman Secondary school tcachcrs have reached an intcrim agreement with the Huron-Pcrth Catholic District School Board. Under thc agreement between the hoard and the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OPECTA), teachers at St. Michael's School in Stratford and St. Anne's Secondary School in Clinton will teach three classes this semester, even though some had originally been assigned to teach four. Thc teachers will receive their full salary and thc hoard will hire long-term substitute teachers to teach these classes. The teachers will also start volunteering for extra -curricular activities, such as coaching sport teams and supervising other clubs and events. For the first part of the school year as a partial strikc, tcachcrs did not participate in these activities nor did they teach their fourth classes and, as a result, lost 10 per cent of their pay. Gaetan Blanchette, executive director of the Huron -Perth District Catholic School Board, says the interim agreement will give the two sides some time to hash out a final agreement. "(The Board) believes that in light of the whole situation that this is the best thing that can be done at this particular time so we can work on the long-term solution...without affecting the students," says Blanchette. Thlks between the teachers and the board to reach a two-year collective agreement will resume next Thursday, Sept. 24. Meanwhile, secondary school teachers and the Avon Maitland District School Board will he hack at thc negotiations table Monday and Tuesday. In thc meantime, classes will continue at Pcrth and Huron public secondary schools as thcy have for thc first week -and -a -half of thc school year, said Cliff Bcrry, chair of the negotiation team for the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF), which represents 480 tcachcrs in the district. "Teachers arc continuing to all thc activi- ties in classes assigned to them, but arc not participating in volunteer activities," said Berry. "We arc hopeful that negotiations will progress well in those two days," he added. Earlier talks between the teachers' union and thc school board broke off Sept. 4, with- out an agreement being reached. While thc tcachcrs arc in a legal position to strike, they have decided to put -off further action, at least for now. The key issue under debate is reduced preparation time for teachers; under Bill 160 secondary school tcachcrs will he required to teach seven out of cight classes, instead of thc previous six, reducing prep timc by about 30 or 40 minutes per day. Discussions between the Avon Maitland hoard and elementary school teachers arc scheduled to resume tommorrow (Thursday). Negotiations between the Catholic board and the elementary school teachers' union arc going well, says Blanchette; the two sides have scheduled a meeting for later this week.