The Huron Expositor, 1999-03-10, Page 1}
Your Community Newspaper Since 1360 ..Seaforth, Ontario March 10. 1994 .$1.00.includes GST
Agriculture
prep school
proposal
in works
High school could draw
urban students
BY St:SAN H1.NDERTMMARK
Exposiitir Staff
\d`: ertisin'ir 'eaforth
Disirrct Hish School in.
;than) :areas as a preparatory,
.school •torr agriculture -based
',.careers rti an idea the school_ -
:ouncil •vitt :: soon . he
)r >na);in•' •,?. the .Avon'
bl.utland District."'$dans
Board•. sac-•. `. ice=prtneipal
Rein Par:: '
'Thi:..tr tit lh_<ot this
choir :iaa ;l'.vaysbeen its
excellent, teachers. its ;mail
Ind the'community
support of the ;c)ttiot. -Tats:
..1e.t arploits ail three
strengths...he says,
Based on the ;node] of the
Ontario Science Centre
school: which has offered an
eni-;citrtenttprogram for
senior audents for he last
can ander the auspices
Of Dim Vl)lls Ctille,rate, 'he
-SDHS proposal vtuid
recruit 'irhun students whose
career. ir,pirations n
ag.ri i 'ire sir-'.etertnary
• 1
He says the proposal.will.
,he made to•the hoard in the
next miinth with hopes of
enrolling Urban" students by
January ors• possibly
September. _0(X).
"Much •lepends on how
• much local enthusiasm can
he generated to .incl places
for the lads to he says.
Current science .timculum
could h'e'-slightly.modiiied
to prepare students inr
.agriculture; or. •,:eterinar,
,;nurses .0 'he t. nic•erstity ,)l
Guelph Or agricultural.
.:olleces such .ts'Ridcetown:
"The courses we already
offer touch inn' -agriculture
but lot extensively.. There's
ni) sense ;n .iteuline the .
thunder ot. the .uznculturat
coupes in colleges but ave
,jan modify environmental
science. for example: to
study • the effects ot-
pesncides ,ind fertilizers and
.;umpare• them to .no -t 111
• farming, he
,eyuires tarn. 1""q‘,Trinrialliollrliklillasays.
`If we could
,1,1•1.1011• _'t pull 15 to 20
the .fiance kids from the
...:r .,)!T cities, it would
!erns. their make a big
1•i place :or
:lent'.1•• :difference to
• .) , • our school'
--Rob Parr, vice
Vre,_ouid stye
them t principal at
u + , - ; • Seaforth District
oppurtuniry High School.
here.' he says.
P tt' ,,,s, a .
• ..1`. •tip
to be •tvrtiied
ooh ., iroup •,[ike the
Federation of \gricultuie- to
find farm families w1ling.to.
hoard the: students while
'hes .attend SDHS)
Students attending the
Science ).'entre .ghoul often
pay Sot) w S500 a month.
to ho.aid for a'vear. Parr
esti,n ues'students. coarsing
-tor their senior year in
Seafor)h. would hie• to I3av
to S?t1U .a month and
ntaght_
even tied a situation
where room and board
could
ba paid- by doing
chores uti the farm.
it we could even pull 15
to _'tl kids truth the cities. it
would make -a big difference
to our sChuoL" he says.
The Idea is one of several
the SDHS school cu.uncil
came up with during
brainstorming sessions 10
increases student enrolment
since the school's existence
was threatened last year.
(Vier ideas such as making
SDHS an arts school or. a
tumor high school- were
Jisca ded.
"11 makes more sense to
go 'outside our own school
board and bring more
revenue to the board by
attracting more students into
the area, Parr says, adding
that every student generates
about $6,000 in provincial
funding.
He adds 'hat
'l l • . '1 1 :11
could tt•u ')e -
`rngditied .•o.
help students :
_oing :nisi
.::u'_ers n
clef -friary and
41. J4Cine
:)repare •t:or-
their \'Usti
entrance tests.
u1 \nterican
Y1 YJi,; a;.
\ .sues i.tl feint
.test focussing
on calculus.
physics::organic chemistry.
and cell biology that must
he passed,ui enter Canadian
medical and "eterinary
�e:hduis.
"We have smaller ,sasses
here. especially in the senior
grades. so kids can • e4 more
individual attention.. It's the
sante auirusphere as Is often
found'in private schools,"
says Pam - ••
-i-te cayti•':Riurrtgluvking--
to e.e:ape the social
problems tied to urban
schools. might .want 1U:
attend SDHS: •
Surae -'very preliminary"
discussions with
veterinarians. and the
• University of Guelph have
produced some positive
responses about the idea.
Pan says vets; in particular,
have been interested in
starting a mentoring
.program to help young
people get started in
veterinary medicine.
He •'tys the idea. if
successful. could spark "a
whole new industry of
specialized_ schools
springing up." But, he adds
he's sure SDHS could easily
establish a reputation for
excellence and compete
with other specialized.
schools.
"We've always- been
blessed .with exceptional
teaching here," he says.
.Town joins ito keepb-and -
.
moved to h p -in. from ±ts ns0a1 n
p.m. ,tart.
• -'I don'1 want •t4 .ee the hared
disappear and I'm re:,tly lisappotnted in
the school board.". he :aid. -
'The hand nag - intern:atonal
recognition .ind .1-s such .a .tood-
.imhassador for the hoard. It would he -t
,haine.10 1011 ':he plug on .inch :1
positive. organization. I'm tiraid tttat
•iii'.continued funding from the hoard.
,.vould. he the he4tnnmg of the end for
the hand.
The Seatorth .til arts hand. which has
existed -ince ]'-►c' gnu currently has >5
members from i6 Huron Counts -
elementary artd high schools ind nso -
memhers from Vtitcaiell. ;nay lave
disband if the Avon;Maitland District
Schoc)! Board.retwtes io pay.the ,,anti' •
B' SI,SAN HLNDERT IARK
Expositor Staif
:‘Roost a year .after rescheduling .,
meeting. to., allow councillors to take a
,cause to the Avon :Maitland District
• School Board: Seatorth Town Council
rescheduled ,again last night: -
'Last rime; it was- to fight ► *move to
dose Seatorth; high school Tltis .time.
it was to fight to keep, the .cho_ nil's
internationally, renowned hand.
ironic ;and it's disheartening but
t', "hat important to keep the hand
!1)1nz,:' said Seatortji •Mlayor:Dav°e
lc-ott. • - - -
He said Ire's tulle behind" the all
,arts •narchine _hand and planned to
tisetis's how Town council .an support -
he hand at last nicht': ,council meeting.
annual hlult`et of S3.700.
Loden, h i'.nucillor Lynda Rotteau
receritl.\ _. tit 'bat ;odertch . euinci1
tv,gild 'iket% tie' .tiling -to ,hare the cost
of the hand'- ramal huduet .vtth
Seatorttt council tf she •.choral -hoard
rettises to pray.
.Scott said lie s ;glial to see ;octertch
;own citlnclilors'olferrnit 1inahcial.
support 'o he hand-,ind would ,ikc io
see Seaiorth ,r ouncd do the -ame it ;teed
he. - .. -
—But. I ',fon • vant :o ,give the hoard an
out. It's 101 , or 41 noni.r he stands •
_ asking or and the rtnu operates hest
nnder'he wing it theqo,trfi." said'Scott.
Band, •xectulye members have been
:old ecenlly• 'hat •tie land .:onsidered
.In ' offside .roup" .and not;.T ,cho0l
i''ON rrNuED i•n r'::aie
Janie Kuepfer holds on to Laurie Dolmage's hand In prayer with daughter Sarah at the World Day of Prayer service on
Friday at St. Thomas Anglican Church. Venezuela was the focus of this year'sserfIcQ and it was written -by the women of
Venezuela's World Day of Prayer Committee.
HILGENDORFF PHOTO
County councilor criticizes w inter road conditions
engineer say•
s they're trying to keep up -with sanding
BY AMY ZOKTHOUT
Gtxlerrch Signal -Star Staff
County Councillor Mason
Bailey questioned whether
or not the county has gotten
a 'little too frugal" with
road maintenance given the
•number of car accidents on
county roads this winter.•
"There have been a lot of
casualties on our roads,"
said Bailey reeve of the
Village of Blyth. He added
that- the. county should
maybe look. at improving
the maintenance of. these
roads. •
County engineer Sandra
Lawson -replied that this
year costs for road
construction have been cut,
while they have been
spending close to $500,000
more on road maintenance.'
"We have been trying to
keep up with sand. and
salt, „aid Lawson. adding
that levels are hatted on .t
normal winter. If we have a
bad winter, like this winter,
the county is able to ,pend
that money to make up for
the extra maintenance
needed.
As to the standards that
are ` applied to. •road
maintenance, Lawson said
that the county .is meeting
those standards,
"sometimes exceeding
those standards.
She added than c% rn
though the count) Joe% not
hate a designated. ,hitt on
heiween II p.m. ,and 4
a.rn.. they do have 24-hour.
pattuls thin nnunitor•road
conditions how eeh those
hours. If the conditions
deteriorate between i 1 p.in.
and 4 a.m., she @aid county
vehicles are on call to come
out between those times.