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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1998-09-30, Page 1p X �n Y' OS1tO Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 — Seaforth, Ontario September 30, 1998 — $1.00 includes GST Eleven cars from the Goderich Exeter Railway Company jumped the tracks at Main Street in Seaforth Monday night. One car blocked the north- bound lane of Main Street for about 12 hours Tuesday until a crane arrived to lift the cars back on the tracks. HILGENODRFF PHOTOS Derailed Eleven cars leave tracks BY SCOTT HILGENDORFF Expositor Editor The Goderich Exeter Railway Company is still trying to determine what caused an 11 -car derailment late Monday night in Seaforth. "One of, the cars came off of the train and ended up in the north -bound lane of Main Street," said Community Services Office Don Shropshall of the OPP. Cheryle Grigg of Goderich Exeter Railway's marketing and . administration department said they had been receiving calls from Seaforth residents concerned about potential safety hazards but said there were no hazardous materials aboard the train. No cars overturned. There were 38 cars on the train. 11 of which carried .beans and urea (a material used in insulation). The cars that came off the tracks were empty. There was one conductor and an engineer on the train and, neither were injured in the accident. Shropshall said the train carries a device similar to a "black box" found on airplanes that records the incident and should help railway staff determine what CONTINUED on Page 3 School fates deferred Board tables closure motion until next week's meeting BY VICTORIA JACKSON Clinton News -Record Staff More than 250 concerned residents of Huron and Perth Counties attended last 'Tuesday night's Avon Maitland District School Beard (AMI)SB) meeting to hear the board's decision on possible school .losures. They were doomed to disappointment. After much discussion by the trustees, and a presentation by Deb Sholdice, chair of the Student Advisory Council (SAC) for Clinton Public School (CPS), the board -opted to table the. motion until the board meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the board's Strafford office. Sholdice asked the board to help concerned residents figure out the best way to fight the closdres. "As parents and taxpayers, we need you to lead us as to how ,to approach the ministry," Sholdice said. "As a parent and a taxpayer I realize there is a need to eliminate costs from the system." Janet Baird -Jackson, Superintendent of Corporate Operations and Information Technology for the AMDSB, said the governement formula for funding to facilities is based on a dollar amount for square footage and another dollar amount for pupils. ' "Given then that we have no other means, we either reduce our standards for cleanliness or we reduce resources by diverting money from other areas. The other approach is to reduce square footage," Baird -Jackson said. She added that in some areas that the board covers there is growth, however until the board's schools are "at or exceeding capacity, we do not qualify for the same amount of funding." The board has three options of schools to be reviewed for closure and the recommended option. the most holistic of the CONTINUED on Page 3 'As parents and taxpayers we need you to lead us as to how to approach the ministry,' --Deb Sholdtce, chair of an area student advisory council Skunk situation stinks for local family out $130 to trap them ° BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff Skunks were a bother for the Kennys on Market Street this summer. They think it stinks the town doesn't reimburse them for the cost of getting rid of them, particularly when they live so near the public school. "Anybody with a nose knew 'Seaforth's got a problem with nuisance skunks this year," Brenda Kenny told council Tuesday night. They had five trapped from under,,their shed this summer but said it wasn't just them. The problem was all around, with at least 15 to 20 instances of skunk sightings they'd heard of from people they knew. "This is not normal this year," Brenda said. It cost the Kennys $130 to have the skunks removed. privately. Brenda said she found out the town's animal control officer didn't handle healthy skunks, that they had always paid their taxes no matter how much they went up and the family was "struggling." She added they had done Council forms restructuring stand Mayor Dave Scott phrased that the preferred option is BY GREGOR CAMPBELL it, and council unanimously still the status quo, they want Expositor Staff approved. things to stay the way they "Seaforth isn't interested in are, two -tiers of county and pursuing any option that existing towns, villages and doesn't include Tuckersmith townships. and McKillop (fownships)," LOGIC AND HISTORY council decided. Despite now sharing a clerk Council also agreed with with Seaforth, Tuckersmith's Reeve • Brian Ferguson's official restructuring position recommendation that is it wants to be grouped with Seaforth should add that we townships to the west, clerk prefer a Iwo -tier option. Jack McLachlan said. He said he senses an "At least we have struck an underlying feeling amongst many Huron municipalities A strategic planning day was yesterday, when Huron County and its 26 municipalities were to get together to see if they cougd make some headway on restructuring. At last Tuesday night's meeting, Seaforth Council took an official position before the upcoming political fray. CONTINUED on Page 3 Teachers, board reach tentative deal The Avon Maitland District School Board (AMDSB) and the Ontario Secondary Schools Teachers Federation reached a tentative agreement late Monday. Terms of the agreement, for the 1998/1999 and 1999/2000 school years, are unavailable until both sides have ratified the contract. Cliff Berry, chair of the OSSTF negotiating team for this district, said the Huron and Perth public high school teachers will vote on the agreement on Thursday. "(OSSTF) is encouraging teachers to vote for this agreement and in good faith to resume voluntary activities," he said. Abby Armstrong, AMDSB chair, said teachers could start partiopating in extra- curricular activities as early as today. The board will meet for ratification on Thursday evening and teachers will vote in the workplace, according to a press release issued by both parties. nothing to attract the sometimes smelly, always short-sighted nocturnal prowlers - such as water their lawn or throw scraps of food on the garden for compost. SKUNKS ABOUND Seaforth normally only calls in its control officer for diseased or injured wild animals and to enforce its bylaws on domestic pets. Each time he comes it costs the municipality, usually $50, deputy -clerk Cathy Garrick said. • Council decided to defer the matter and investigate what other municipalities do about problem skunks. General discussion revolved around the potential cost to taxpayers . of reimbursing such claims, especially when there are so many of them in rural areas like Seaforth. Coun. Michael Hak said he sees plenty of skunks by the side of the road every day he drives to work in Strathroy, and they have ambled by when he's sitting out on his deck here at home in Seaforth. Coun. Heather Robinet said their family has paid to have eight skunks caught in 10 CQNTIN_l F,12 , n Page 3 ROPE MAKING - Kids were curious as Ken Connelly of Mitchell demonstrated how rope was made in the old days of Egmondvllle, at Sunday's annual Ciderfest celebrations. CAMPBELL PHOTO 4