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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 1999-12-08, Page 16Church Youu are invited � oto rattertd these area u wthes St, Thomas Anglican Church Jarvis St. Seaforth Rev. Robert Hiscox 482-7861 Sunday, Dec. 12th Sunday School Christmas Pageant at 9:30 am followed by Brunch. F�Oj>e (Or the. Holidays service at 4:00 pm CAVAN . (Winthrop) 9:30 a.m. 8 NORTHSIDE (Goderich St, Seaforth) 11:00 a.m UNITED CHURCHES 527-2635 uccavnsetcc.on ca Box 262, Seaforth Minister: Dave Wt&ams Sunday Scholl &,,ng me woe's. numery provbed. Toro Sunday n Aove e Christmas Presentation SEAFORTH COMMUNITY CHURCH 38 Goderich St. E. 527.2253 • Rev. Hauser - Sunday 10:45 Worship 7:00 p.m. Praise Tues.' 10:00 a.m. - Wed. 7 p m. Bible Study • Your Future 8 Mine Prayer for Healing Needs Sal. 10.11.30 a.nI. Young Explorers Ages 6.12 Full gospel vat a pentecostal message WARM WELCOME 2 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, December 8, 1999 News School issue gets personal By Scott Hilpendorff Expositor Editor The school closure issue began to get personal at a community meeting last week where concerned residents tried to understand • why Seaforth seems to be targeted and what they could do to keep the schools open. "We have been ambushed," said Charles Smith, president of the Seaforth District High School Student Success Foundation, raising funds to fight school closure. He was one of a handful of community leaders including school advisory council heads and the mayor. who led the meeting and have taken a lead in a battle that's brewing between the community and school board. The'battle started when the Avon Maitland District School Board last month voted in favour of listing a cluster of three Seaforth and area schools for study for possible closure. And the growing negative emotions toward the board, prompted board employee, Jan Delvecchio to face the angry crowd and plead with them to stop blaming trustees and start blaming the provincial government. "Why should we allow you to speak?" yelled Smith in reference to the board refusing to let the public address the issue at a board meeting the week before where the closure list was voted upon. "Call the police," ,he said. Others from the crowd also threatened. She said the people were putting the blame in the wrong direction and pointed to the Ministry of Education which has created a situation where there is only enough funding for eight principals when there are 10 high schools. The local board is not being recognized by the province as a rural board and misses out on different funding which • could potentially eliminate the school closure issue. As a result, the board is looking at closing several schools. mostly in Huron County, because there is not enough funding from the Ministry of Education. • Smith said earlier the province doesn't see this area as- ' rural because of its proximity to London. Delvecchio said the government is treating schools like corporations and is only looking at the numbers. While Clinton's high school enrollment figures• are less than Seaforth's; she said the size of the. Seaforth facility can't house the Clinton students but Clinton's can house Seaforth's which makes better lousiness sense from the government perspective. Delvecchio said earlier heckled Delvecchio, asking 1 comments from Scott against for the police to be called. At local trustee - Abby a school board meeting the Armstrong were unfair. week before, trustees called Scott had pointed out the police after Mayor bave Armstrong lives in Bayfield Scott insisted on being heard and her children go to Huron by the board before they Centennial School. He said voted on the issue. it is a completely rural school Delvecchio insisted on whose closure would not hurt being heard and other leaders any communities. of the forum asked for the public to let her speak. "My daughter led the walkout two years ago," she said, impassioned, referring to a 'student Protest -that occurred the first time the school's future was to let the board's finances be publically audited, not answering questions about staffing levels and failed to try and link rural schools together in a fight with the • Ministry of Education against the funding issue. "We'd really like to know if we need 80 employees where many make more than $80,000," Maureen Agar, chair of Seaforth District High School's school advisory council had said. "Over the past two years. I've made 15 presentations to the board. I have cried. I have begged. I have even become angry." she said of presentations to the board when the high school was once before listed for possible closure. . Smith presented a document he calls "the death warrant" that includes the names of Director of Education Lorne Rachlis and finance superintendent Janet Baird Jackson. "They are like a rhinoceros charging ahead," he said, adding it's not Premier Mike Harris or MPP Helen Johns that have kept listing Seaforth schools for closure but the board. At the same time. the board has approved budgets that keep administration staff levels the same. He said the board is under. the is obligated to treat the public fairly. "I believe they have gone down this issue of Unfairness far enough that we do have a leg to stand on," he said. Smith . is working with lawyers to lead a potential legal battle against the board. He has already sent them a list of demands with a cover letter . from a lawyer. Demands include the release • of information regarding the board's book keeping and holding any decisions on school closures 'until the community has had a fair chalice to develop possible Quoted "They a a rhino charg ahead Charles S president, Success Fou re like ceros ing MI mith, Student ndation "We can't just attack the trustees. We, have to find ways t0 save money," she said. But throughout the meeting parents and leaders maintained the board has failed the public by refusing Attraci:ing doctors to town hard if schools are closed By Scott Hi1a.ndorff • Expositor Editor The possible closure of the high school could impact thc community's. ability to attract doctors. said Seaforth Community Hospital's administrator. Andrew Williams. "It absolutely could affect. the hospital from a recruitment perspective. said Williams. But hedoesn't think there's a connection between losing the high school and then the hospital. Concerns Dave . been__ ekpressed by the public, Mayor Dave :Scott and Seaforth and District High School School Advisory Council Chair Maureen . Agarthat if the school is closed, there will be a domino effect that would see the hospital and businesses close. "If the high school closes, will the hospital' close? --- Ttrere's-just no way you can make that correlation," said Williams. But he said doctors are just like anyone else when they select a community. "People move to communities for a whole bunch of reasons. People moveto communities because there are schools," he said, concerned there would be difficulty attracting new doctors to the town without a school. The hospital and Seaforth M.dical Clinic have a long history of active and successful doctor recruitment programs that see the Seaforth clinic covering Blyth and Brussels as well. Seaforth still needs more doctorsbut has a higher number of doctors than most surrounding communities that are struggling against a province -wide doctor shortage in rural and northern areas. However, the doctor shortage led to thc suspension of the obstetrics program at. Seaforth Community Hospital in January and it Would take at least two new doctors before births could take place again, at the hospital. Williams said access to a good education for children is a key factor'for doctors. nurses and other health care professionals selecting a community in which to work. Bethel Bible Church An Associated Gospel Church 126 Main St. Seaforth (formerly Canadian Tire) Wed . Dec 8 O 7 p in_ • Family Night - Adventure Club • • Chnstmas Specie, Sunday. Dec. 12 Sunday &hoof 9:46 a.m. Worshpat 17000.m. Pestor.Rev Doug Corrfveau 527.0982 Catholic Church Masses Saturday - 5:15 pm SI. James Parish. Seaforth Saturday - 7:15 pm St. Joseph's Parish, Clinton Sunday - 9.00 am St. Michael's Parish. Blyth Sunday - 11:00 am SI. James Parish. Seaforth Father Dino Salvador • FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 59 Goderich St . W.. Seaforth Worship at 11:15 Sunday School during worship Nursery Available Pastor Rev N- Vandermey Egmondville United Church Rev. Judith Springett Worship 11 a.m. Sunday School Grades 2 to 8, 10 a.m. Nursery to Grade 1, 11 a.m. • alternative plans. Scott had told the crowd that Dec. I. the day of that meeting. was a deadline they had been given to outline to the board any community issues that might affect enrollment but had made the decision to study the schools for closure a week before that deadline. Because the agreements are kept confidential. Scott could not be specific but indicated there are industries looking at Seaforth and the issue of having a high school or not could affect a decision to locate here. He also pointed out that while the board gave other schools a chance to form committees and have input on the closure issue, Seaforth was not given the same chance for input before the board made its decision. He also said they have tried offering them solutions like the development of an agricultural program that would see students billeted tc Seaforth, increasing enrollment and capitalizing on this area's impressive agricultural background. He said the board wouldn't support the idea. Agar also mentioned ,the proposed fitness centre, a public complex that would be linked with the high school, that the hoard has given little attention to. She said a facility like that could attract hack some of the students who left for St. Anne's in Clinton. a Catholic high school with new facilities. . As alternatives: Scott asked why' the hoard would not look at altering school boundaries that would make more sense. He said Harpurhey students arc 'bussed outside the area when the walk to Seaforth Public School is closer for them than some students from town and Egmondville students could also be sent to Seaforth Public School instead of Huron Centennial: He also'asked, why the hoard has not looked at the community impact closing a school has. "Why would they not study how much money could be saved by closing Huron Centennial'! he asked. adding it is 100 per cent loused $1 % 99 ATTENTION ALL CUSTOMERS - No Contracts - No Hassles FOR StarChoice NAVIGO 401 Ask Satellite System . For Details 1VAalf3rHese ' 399" Retaii Pnce (Naego 401 Bas,:) - 100 instant Rebate 299" You Pay - 100 Programmng Geed On Act val.On - 25 RaooSr ack cenaca'e (catakyae o"r $174.99' NIFTY KORNERS ® RadioShack "Your Lottery Ticket Centre" 33 Main St., Seaforth 527-1680 COMPUTER SUPP I LP CANNON EPSON LEXMARK HEWLETT PACKARD *INK JET CARTRIIx;Es •DISKE:TTES.I'.1PFR ' 'COMPUTER LABELS S •I.E:'i FFRIlEAD *COMPUTER ACCESSORIES *LASER TONER 1::1R fRIDGE:S (:O\I I'I. 111.1\'I•: PRICING Help save our envirouiuent...briug in your ink cartridges for recycling PETE'S PAPER CLIP 19 MAIN ST. SEAFORTH, 527-1681 41 a�it�lilli The Organizers of the Peter Flanagan Memorial Novice Hockey Tournament held Nov. 20th & 21st, 1999 wish to acknowledge & thank the following for their -generous support of the successful tournament. Rem Murray, Edmonton Oilers - Boyd Devereaux, Edmonton Oilers Mike Watt, New York .Islanders Ron & Scott Driscoll Winthrop General Store Seaforth Veterinary Clinic John H. McElwain Construction Ltd. Egmondville Country Market • Watt's Maintenance L. McGrath Plumbing & Heating Intermodal Transport Archie's UPI Culligan Real Estate Tasty Nu Bakery Box Furniture State' Farm Insurance C.LB.C. - Seaforth Seaforth Automotive Sparky's Restaurant The Investment Centre Bob O'Brien, Barber Huron Expositor Janet's Country Donut 'Seaforth Creamery- Seaforth Co-op Do-lt-centre Teatero Motors Seaforth Chiropractic McConnell, Stewart &• Devereaux Sills Hardware Keating's Pharmacy Total Image 11 Province of Ontario Savings Office Seaforth Jewellers Stedmans Seaforth Insurance Fan kt'r-, Cardno's Men's Wear Tremeer Printers Nifty Korners -fete's Paper Clip . - Hildebrand Paint & l'art•r Hildebrand Flower Wong's Grill Sally's Closet Sizzlers Resta grant & Pub Boussey's Beauty Boutique Whitney-Ribev htnlc'ral Home Don Bruxer Carpentry - Wuerth's Shoes ' 1