HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 1999-12-29, Page 1Huron
December 29, 1999
Si
(includes GST)
Local weather
Wednesday --Mainly
cloudy. Light snow
develops. High -2.
1)6>_ Thursday --Cloudy.
..4"47":• Low
showers High 4
..4"47":•
Low -2
• Friday --Sun and cloud.
High -1 Low -6.
Saturday --Periods of
snow High 0 Low -7.
From Environment Canada
In brief
Board
receives.
some
•
praise
The Avon Maitland
District School Board
received a pat on the
back from one parent at
last week's meeting.
Soren Jacobsen, a
parent from Elma
Township Public School,
told trustees he
commends them and the
board staff for "their
grace underthe
increasingly hostile and
vitriolic attitude from
delegations to the
board."
He said that while his
school is not slated for
closure, it was affected
by budget constraints
when the Atwood annex
was closed last year, a
move he saidwas
positive for students and
teachers.
Jacobsen questioned
why some'communities
are "fundraising for
useless legal battles"
instead of "offering to
fundraise to assist the
board in keeping their
school open."
He added that parents
threatening to put their
children in the private
school system if their
school is closed could
also look at putting the
money necessary for
tuition in a private
school back into the
public system.
"Does this provide a
new perspective on how
much they are willing to
donate to keep the
school running?" he
asked.
Jacobson expressed
sympathy for the board's
"unenviable position of
deciding when the needs
of the few outweigh the
good of the many."
"Many times 1 have
heard that schools are
not balance streets. The
hard reality is that they
are. The funding is set.
The board has to
function within the given
budget. When one
school needs more than
its allotted portion
another gets less; he
said.
He concluded that he
believes that board and
staff are "truly trying
under difficult
circumstance" to serve
the needs of all.
By Susan Hundertmark
Skaters take to
the ice..
Page 3
-'.1
Agriculture
Page 9
Remembrance
Day poster
winners
Page 11.
Ready for Y2K?
People are prepared but not many are too worried about problems
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Staff
While- she doesn't expect any
disasters to occur from the Y2K
computer glitch. Seaforth's Debbie
Williamson and her family aren't
taking any chances..
The Williarnsons will he spending
New Year's Eve with some friends at
a cabin near Goderich, where;
because there's no hydro or running
water. Williamson said they'll be
prepared if roughing`it is required.
1 think were taking it in stride but
just in case. there are_ propane
lanterns. ,m outhouse. a woodstove
with lots of wood and we bring in our
own water and radio with batteries."
.she says. • .
But, while Williamson doesn't
think Y2K is going to cause power
outages or water shortages, she
predicts people's reactions to the.
threat might he worse than anything
that a computer glitch may cause.
-`'It's a nice getaway and we'll be in
our own little space. People might get
a little - crazy and I'm glad we're
going to be. far, far away from there.'
she says. •
While local farmer Sieve>Jansen
says he's "not doing a darned thing'
to prepare for Y2K, he admits that as
a livestock operator, he's already
prepared for•short-term disasters. •
"Anyone with livestock already has
generators, which are good- for about
60.hours. Farmers are self-sufficient.
We have our own fuel and a freezer
full •ol meat." he says.
Jansen most farmers he knows
are not taking any further -precautions
than the normal ones they already
take to kgep their operations running
in a ("anadian winter. •
'1 think Y2K is going to he the
biggest non-event of the century"
says Jansen
Vivian Newnham, of Seaforth, who
organizeda public meeting on Y2K -
preparedness in November, says most
people are not making any special
preparations. •
• "1 don't think that many people are
worried about it" she says. •
As campers, Newnham says she
and her husband are well-prepared
with any equipment necessary if the
power goes out. They have a
kerosene heater -and will be filling
some gallon jugs of water.
"i'm taking advantage of any sales
Sas CLOSURES, Page 2
Luke Williams, visiting from Wales, gets a helping hand Monday at Seaforth
Seaforth and his first day on skates.
Stephanie Dale photo
and District Community Centres on his last day in
But just
•
in case...
Town, is ready
with people
in place
New Year's Eve
By Scott Hilgendorff
Expositor Editor
While the town is not
anticipating any trouble,
.plans are in. place in case a
potential, world-wide
computer glitch causes
problems like power
failures when the date
changes to 2000 at
midnight. Dec. 31. :-
"I don't believe anything is
going to happen as a result
of Y2K.". said Jack
McLachlan, . town
administrator, of the
possibility that
computerized systems could
fail leading to potential
.power and communications
failures.
But just in case, both
McLachlan and Mayor
-Dave Scott- will -be ringing
in. the new year at the town
hall and the on-call shift of
the fire department will be
at the fire hall in case they
.are needed.
And the town has purchased
.emergency generators to
power the town hall and the
Seaforth Agri -plea.
The town hall will serve
as an emergency command
centre while the Agri -plea
will have power to serve as
an emergency shelter.
The town has received
praise from Emergency
Measures Ontario, the
agency• that coordinates
emergency plans at a
provincial level in situations
like the ice storm of a
couple years ago, that it has
an excellent emergency plan
in place.
The town has worked
local retiretnent
homes. the hospital,
amateur radio operators and
other community 'leaders to
See CLOSURES, Page fl
Public schools will be desemestered
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Staff
The Avon Maitland .District School Board
unanimously approved adesemestered or year-
long student timetable for the district's high
schools at its -meeting last week.
"1t seems to me our board is on the cutting edge
of this." said trustee Maggie Laprade. "We're
being very proactive in trying to provide the best
chance for our students."
Trustee Abby Armstrong noted that the timetable
change is unanimously supported by all the
district's secondary school teachers and added that
parents in her area are also supportive of the
change.
"1 honestly believe this is the best thing for our
kids. There's no doubt in my mind at all." she said.
Despite one delegation from the local Ontario •
Secondary School. Teachers Federation IOSSTF).
including District 8 president Bill Nuzar and
officer Ken Rohins..protesting the change. trustees
heard arguments urging the timetable change from
two area principals and superintendent Marjatta
Longston.
Longston told trustees that %%ith 1999. secondary •
school reform. more content is taught sooner at all
grade levels, with high school students -expected to -
complete the same 30 credits in four years that are
now finished in five.
As well. she said a reading and writing readiness
test, taken in Grade 10 must be passed for students
to earn their high school diplomas.
"It's rigor like nothing we've seen before and we
need to do whatever we can to make sure all
students are successful: in this new system," she
said.•
However, those same secondary reforms were
given as reasons by OSSTF representatives to ,
more slowly consider iffreturn to year-long
timetabling.
See CLOSURES, Pogo tl
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