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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1998-10-21, Page 1Your Community Newspaper Since 1860. - Seaforth, Ontario October 21, 1998 - $ .00 includes -GST Area reps rallying to save rural schools Mayor, school councils will speak in. St. Thomas this weekend in fight to keep schools open BY SCOTT HiLGENDORFF Expositor Editor Representatives from across Huron and Perth counties. will be attempting to show the provincial government they are against rural school closures at a Sunday meeting in St. Thomas. "1 think we have to send the Harris government a strong message people are 'concerned about their rural schools." said Essex/Kent •MPP Pat Hoy. Hoy is the Liberal agriculture critic and. after Seeing a rural school close in his riding this summer. is organizing the rally. He shares concerns that have been expressed by parents at recent Avon- Maitland District School •Board•.meetings about the importance of rural schools. "They're a focus .of communities. it's a focal point for mane people." he said. He is seeing support growing against the possible closures that have become an issue since the government developed new funding formulas for education. Critics are saying the funding is forcing hoards to look at closing undercapacity schools in order to he eligible for grants for new buildings or expansions. In the Avon -Maitland hoard. 16 schools could -he on a list to study their possible closure after a board meeting this Tuesday night (Oct. 27). In the Seaforth area. that includes Walton Public School which would have ramifications on the operation of Seaforth Public School and Seaforth District High School. As agriculture critic; Hoy decided to get . involved because of the implications possible school closures have on rural life. He points to the recent Apples smaller this year as harvest nears completion Ripe for the picking Gerald Martene picks some of the remaining Maclnstosh apples from his orchard. While farmers. face lost yields from this summer's dry weather. Martene has seen trees producing smaller apples this year. His orchard.has about 350 trees producing apples for sale and for his cider production. HILGENDORFF PHOTOS Dry- weather to blame but smaller ones still good for making apple cider BY SCOTT HILGENDORFF Expositor Editor . While farmers are still determining the loss in yields this year to dry weather, a local apple orchard has also experienced the effects of a hot. dry summer. "The apples are smaller :and I know there isn't quite the same quantity." said Gerald Martene of Martene Orchards. While he said the season started out right, with the dryness. the apples just'never• €T1ew.. But the loss won't be the same to Martene as it could be for Some farmers who were predicting yield losses• in most of their crops throughout this area. "All the little ones.] can still use for cider. It's not an entire loss," he said. Martene has about 3M) semi -dwarf trees with about one -and -a -half acres of Macintosh, a half -acre of courtland and a few trees of Ida Red and Crispin (Mutza) apples. Most of the crop is in with a couple varieties left to pick. He hires school children,to come and gather the apples after he shakes them out of the trees. He's been running the operation for 27 years now. buying the orchard when the trees were four years old. He sells the apples at the orchard as well as at the fall fair, Ciderfest (for which he produces the cider) and from a stand at his son's store. Pete's Paper Clip in Seaforth: Macintosh apples are his CONTIUEI) on Page 2 4. Don't forget, clocks go back one hour Sunday morning. support -of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture as an indication that support against closures is growing. The federation has asked for a moratorium to he placed on schools closures until the government can conduct an impact assessment study. to .fully understand the implications' of closing schools. The Ontario Federation oI Agriculture as well as the Huron County and Perth County federations will he represented at the ralt‘. Also attending from this area are representatives from the Seaforth District School _ Council. the Perth County Citi,ens for Education and Seaforth Mayor. Dave Scott. "The education funding formula is fundamentally: flawed." said Scott who will he speaking at the rally. "It doesn't take into account the unique-, strength -of rural hoards and schools He plans to speak on CONTINUED on Page ? Mayor seeks provincial Liberal nomination BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff Seaforth Mayor Dave Scott is going after the Liberal Party nomination for the Huron -Bruce riding in the next provincial election. His suddenannouncement came immediately after Reeve Brian Ferguson's resignation,near the end of last Tuesday night's council meeting. Scott, 33, first entered politics less than a year ago, defeating Seaforth's then incumbent mayor, Irwin Johnston. "it's been' just over two months since I was first approached by former Liberal MPP and Minister of Agriculture Jack Riddell who inquired if I had an interest in pursuing provincial politics." the mayor's letter to .council states. Scott said after "long hours of soul searching" he feels he could work more effectively for this town's future generations at the provincial level, and he wanted council to be aware of his intentions before making them public. "I realize this is a crucial time for Seaforth with restructuring and other matters on the horizon. so 1 would like, with council's permission, to stay on as mayor as long as possible. in the event that I am successful in the nomination race," his letter states. "It is my intention to do a.s much as I can for the Town of Seaforth regardless of the outcome of events in the months ahead. I have enjoyed my term as mayor so far. It's been eventful, educational and rewarding. "Let's continue to make Seaforth abetter place to live." NEXT MARCH? The caurent Progressive Conservative (PC) government in Ontario must call an election in the next 18 months. Scott told council the nomination meeting is expected . around next March. Joan Van den Brock of the Goderich area also confirmed Friday she is running for the local Liberal riding nomination. She is the coordinator of volunteer services and.public relations for the Children's Aid Society in Huron County. Among other accomplishments, she spent 16 years on the Huron County Board of Education, as representative for Goderich and Colborne townships. She is also a former chair of that board. Huron -Bruce Provincial Liberal Association president Joe Hogan of Exeter says only.the two sets of nomination papers have been picked up so far. He said at this relatively early date there is the usual talk behind the scent ,. and others may well enter the area Liberal race. He saio' the date hasn't been set yet but he expects a "nomination meeting early next year." The riding is now represented at Queen's Park by Helen Joins of Exeter, a Conservative, who out -distanced Liberal candidate John Jewitt of RR 1 Londsboro 13,344 votes to 7,008 in the June 1995 Ontario election. Incumbent Paul Klopp of Zurich was third with 6,927 votes. Seaforth voted Liberal in that most recent provincial Campaign. Jewitt garnered 413 votes to Johns' 368 and ifilopp's 216. Mayor Dave Scott Reeve resigns, moving so Goderich Township Bl' GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff Reeve Brian Ferguson resigned from Seaforth Council Friday. The Fergusons have sold their Centre Street property in town and are moving to Goderich Township this month. The reeve, who is an Ontario Hydro maintenance engineering manager at the Bruce Nuclear Power Development, submitted his letter of resignation "with regret" at council's regular meeting last Tuesday night, effective Oct. 16. "While my family and I will remain residents of Huron County, we have decided to relocate closer to my work," it states. "I wish you luck with the challenges of 'restructuring' and look forward to a return to municipal government in the near future." Ferguson, 49, was first appointed to Seaforth Council as a replacement counsellor in November 1993 following the death of Coun. Bill Pinder. He returned to council by acclamation in the 1994 municipal elections. He was also acclaimed reeve in last November's municipal elections here, following the retirement of Bill Bennett, who held that position for 11 years, since 1986. Among other responsibilities, the reeve is a municipality's representative on Huron County Council. That council's relent decision to reject a one -tier system throw the question of restructuring back in the laps onPage 2