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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2000-01-26, Page 4Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 Terri -Lynn Hort - Publisher Pat Armes - Office Manager Scoff Hilgendorff - Editor Diane McGdh • Sksaiptims/Oassilieds Susan Hundertmark - Reporter Bowes Publishers Limited s,l.d.n 4 Sa M d.. G)aatw - A Q-rrw G,.r., E-mail us at seaforthebowesnet.com SUBSCRIPTION RATES LOCAL - 32 50 a yeor, in advance, plus 2.28 G.S.T. SENIORS: - 30 00 o year, in odvance, plus 2 10 G S T USA & foreign: 28 44 a year in advance, plus S78 00 postage. G.S.T. excerpt SUBSCRIPTION RATES Published weekly by Sagnd-Swr Publishing at 100 Moin 5r., Seaforth. Publ�ation moil registrosion No 0696 held at Seaforth, Ontario Advertising is occepied on condition that in the event of a typographiml error, the advertising space oontp.ed by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be chorged, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate in the event of a tytx,g.aphicol error, advertising goods or services at a wrong price, goods or services may not be sold Advertising is merely an offer to sell and may be withdrawn at any time. The Huron Expositor is not responsible for the loss Of damage of unsolicited manuscripts. photos or other materials used for reproduction purposes Chonges of address, orders for subscriptions and undeliverable copies are to be sent to The Huron Expositor. Wednesday. December 29, 1999 Eitieriel mad Seslwess Offices - 100 M.I. fitter-,Soeferlb Telephone (519) 527-0240 Pox (519) 527.2555 Melling Address - RO. Sex 49, Soahrlb, Ontario, NOTE 1 WO Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper - Association, Ontario Community Newspapers Association Publication Mai Registration No. 07605 Editorial School battle needs to target t4 provincial government The local leaders fighting to save area schools. treed to look a little further at what they are doing. While the Avon Maitland District School Board is seen as the enemy in this fight because it is the one making the decisions on what schools to close and how much money is needed to be found to save them, the problem goes deeper. Part of the board's situation is the bizarre decision by the provincial government to deny this area full rural funding because of our proximity to London. This is funding that could potentially' keep the schools open by adding S1 million to the board's revenue This is a provincial decision and some focus must be turned that way. Gerard Kennedy, MP in the Toronto area and the Liberal education critic has taken an interest in the situation and has brought up in the legislature the fact that Seaforth and other communities are threatened by this error, in labeling this and other areas urban because of their distance from cities. His first attempts, on his own, have failed to get a moratorium on school closures until a fair rural funding formula is implemented. He came to the area last week seeking information and support for a provincial campaign. He has said the fight needs to be taken up with the province. Seaforth school representatives, working hard to prepare for a meeting that night with the school board to present its case for why the high school should not close, were not willing to sacrifice the time from their local battle to attend the meeting with Kennedy. They see the local board vs the direction their fight must go. That board has presented itself as a wonderful villain. Trustees and administration have played numbers games, called cops on the public at meetings,and meet questions from the public with silence or arrogance. They've become an entity we love to hate. But focussing on the board has also distracted us from another direction the battle needs to take. It's become obvious the board is not willing to look at social and economic impacts on affected municipalities; the current focus of the local battle. Local trustee Abby Armstrong has said it's not the board's roler:te`save rural communities. It is their roll'ee to look after the students' best interests so why aren't they helping fight the province. The province could still be made to see the error it hos mode with its rural funding formula. People have been working long and hard on this struggle but they need to look beyond the local picture and put some of their talents in that direction. Scott Hilgendorff Opinion Time to stop arguing and make sacrifices To the Editor. Parents and citizens of Seaforth and area. Please Don't miss the boat again. It is my understanding from what I have heard said and what 1 have read in the local papers that before the new. high school was built in Clutton, the public and separate boards had pretty well worked out an agreement. It would have put the unused pan of the older high school to use. . Apparently the parents were so against it, that the boards backed off. Now. we have many more empty spaces than would have been. I believe we now have probably three options. Option one would change the boundaries and bring back Harpurhey and Egmondville into Seaforth and Im sorry. but also bring Walton into Seaforth and have Grade 1 to 6 in the elementary school with Grades 7 to 8 as a junior high through Grade 12 in the high school. Option two would be similar to option one except Kindergarten through Grade 12 would be in the high school. Option three shouldn't have tobe considered because it entails closing all the schools. By process of considering which is most efficient. option one would make the most sense. If we don't stop arguing and work together to make some sacrifices. I fear for the whole school system in the area. Sincerely Pat and Brenda Kenny Seaforth Time is running out but people need. to lobby provincial government To the Editor: 5 --Residents of Seaforth, Huron East, administrators, trustees and residents of Avon Maitland District School Board: I've attended the meetings, read the hand outs. asked questions and had lengthy discussions with many of you. Because of all the excellent presentations made to the trustees and administration of the Avon Maitland School Board. there is no doubt in my mind the board realizes how important it is to keep our schools open. I also believe they are trying their best to achieve this but their hands are tyed by a funding formula that doesn't work for small viral boards. The Huron Perth hospitals were • able to get the Conservatives to change their minds on funding. We can get them to change their minds as well by rigorously presenting our case to them. Mr. Harris and the Conservatives are realizing that they were wrong with all the hospital funding cuts. We must show them they are wrong on this issue as well. How do we do it? Do we ask the Seaforth study group to organize a fleet of buses to go to Queen's Park or hold a monster Main Street rally with lots of publicity? Do we call Mr. Harris. Ms. Ecker and Ms. Johns every day? _Do we contact the Globe. The National Post. CBC. CTV and plead our case? Can. Mr. McGinty and Mr. Hampton help us? Time is short. Anger and accusations won't help. You can have your say next election. We must all work together to show Mr. Harris the short term tax savings don't outweigh the long- term losses in taxes and quality of life if schools are closed in rural Ontario. Rural Ontario : is very different from the Greater Toronto Area. If the Progressive Conservatives can't find S2 million for Avon Maitland. can we find it ourselves until there is a change of government or a change of policy? Maybe 350 of us could go back to school is September. As a parent. I would be willing to -pay a special levy to keep Seaforth District High School open and my children going to school at home. As a business person and resident of Huron East -who realizes that no high school means a slow death for me and this community, I would also be willing to pay a special levy. There are options. There are compromises. There is a solution. " There is not a lot of time. Lobby your board. local and provincial politicians. Work with your churches, -groups and associations to lobby Queen's Park to change their policies. Go to the phone. fax and e-mail now. Robert Fisher Please don't ruin or future or our friendships, asks student of Seaforth high school To the Editor: 1 am a student of Seaforth District High School and a young adult. I have attended the high school from the start of my secondary school education and am now in Grade 12. I, like the rest of the students who attend this school. want to finish my education here. 1 do not want to finish my last year of high school in a totally different high school that 1 do not know. The board has been deciding our future without even consulting us about our thoughts. feelings or concerns. We have not been considered in the decision making. Do they realize what the impact will. be on our lives? Many friendships will be destroyed from splitting us up at this time in our lives when friendships are one of the. most important aspects. They may not have realized that graduates from Seaforth .(District High School are accepted in many top , universities and colleges. The main reason for this is because we are a small school and we get the one -ort -one attention that is needed to nourish our education and social development that is required to enter the work field or post secondary school education. We will not get this attention if ttie board closes Seaforth District High School and moves us to a larger school. In Seaforth, we know the teachers and they take time to get to know us. We feel comfortable talking to them with any concerns we have about school or regarding our personal lives. In a larger school. you are only known as a number while here, everyone knows your name and you are treated as an individual. The teachers at Seaforth District High School are willing to make time in their busy schedule for us for after school help or leading a club or sport. This creates a happier more productive : ' learning environment. . Even former students who are successful in their chosen field admit that they do, not remember everything that they were taught but remember the friendly atmosphere and everyone knowing your name. Maybe this is the reason why( so many former students return to Seaforth to raise a family. They want •their children to have the same wonderful learning experience. Please don't ruin our future or our friendships. Jill McKichan Continued support from public needed To the Editor: The Seaforth Accommodation Review Committee would like to extend a sincere thank you to all who attended the public meetings and showed support with their attendance., The committee is pleased with the turnout of almost 700 people at the two meetings-- more than 200 at Seaforth Public School and 400 at Seaforth District High School -- and the speeches. questions and comments presented to boardtrustees and administration in attendance. It is evident by the number of people at the meetings. the questions asked and the content of the presentations that there is tremendous community support to keep Seaforth schools open and our students in our community. We hope the public will continue to support us in our endeavours. It is for the continued survival of this community that we. ensure our schools remain open. Alf Ross Chair Seaforth Accommodation Review Committee Bread has gone up to z z cents a loaf in Walton John M. Governlock of treasurer. Walton has purchased from M. The Canadian Legion here McSpadden at Winthrop 25 held a bingo when 12 geese acres of land and wilt tart a brick and the yard in th spring. The members and adherents of the Methodist Congregation at Constance presented their Minister, the RevT.B. Copeland with a good load of oats and potatoes. Kruse Brothers of Tuckersmith are preparing for a big season's work in brick and tile. At a meeting held in S.S. No. 9 McKillop. it was decided to have the building lined inside and a foundation built underneath. The mild weather of the past few days has spoiled the sleighing and more snow is anxiously looked for at St. Joseph- • D.J. 'Aitchison of Devil's Lake Dakota and son J. Aitchison, Roxboro. McKillop has disposed of his pmperty in Dakota and intends returning to Ontario. January 20,1925 The merchant,W, C. Bennett. of Winthrop is going a great business in the line of fowl. He shipped more than 11 tons to Kitchener for the Christmas and New Year markets. An old time dance was advertised and held in Cairn's Hall with. the following supplying the' music: Edith Hunt, Mrs. J.D. O'Conn 1, Mrs. G.T. Scott, Messrs. P.M. C sney, J.F. Daly. Hnery Forsyth, Abe Forsythe. In the Years Agone Herbert Fowler, Joseph Hagg, Sr. Adrian Hogg. Joseph Hogg Jr. jack Innis. Earl Van Egmond. Bread has gone up to 11 cents a loaf at Halton. Mrs. Jos. Manning has sold her house to Mrs. Grainger for $2,000. 11 was 8 degrees below zero on Monday morning. Many of the fanners in Seaforth area are short of water and if a thaw doesn't come soon. it will be serious. Friel. the littlest son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Stewart was bitten on the face by a dog. January 20, 1950 Bobby. son of Mr. and Mrs. Clare Reith had the misfortune to have the end of his thumb crushed while playing at the Community Centre. A Seaforth rink. including Dr. F.J. Bechelv. M.A. Reid, E.C. Bosewell and J.A. Stewart captured second prize in the second event at a bonspiel in Wingham. The Seaforth and District Memorial Recreation Centre fund received a donation of $1,000 from Miss Emily Cresswell in memory of her brother. the late Ham Cresswell. Charles Barber. Seaforth, was re- elected chairman of the Seaforth and District High School Board. Vice Chairman is E.B. Goudie while M.A. Reid was reappointed secretary were awarded as prizes. A special prize was won by Geo. D. Hays and Alvin Price. There were175 present and the entertainment was a headed by T.D. Sills. George Jackson left for Venezuala, S.A., Trinidad B. W.I. and Barbados where he will spend the winter. January 23, 1975 The Huron .County Board of Education is interested in having a School Health Co-ordinating Committee established in the county. "A great carnival. all events a success," was the way Martin Murray; chairman of the Carnival Committee, summed up the 8th annual Seaforth Optimist Winter Carnival Sunday evening. A St. Bernard Dog. complete with flask: and two puppies, won second prize in the carnival snow sculpture contest for students at St.' Patrick's School in Dublin More volunteer drivers are needed for . Seaforth's Meals on Wheels program. The old flat bed press that printed about one million copies of the Huron Expositor in the 10 years or so prior to 1969 when the paper went offset was finally lifted out the back door of the expositor office one day recently.