HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2000-05-03, Page 22 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, nay 3, 2000
News
School board sending one more letter
to province seeking transportation funds
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Stott
iltc Avtm Maiiland.District
• School Board is sending "one
tnorc strongly -worded letter"
-to the province asking for
more transportation funding:
Trustee Abby Armstrong
suggested the letter after
hearing trustee Ray Ford's
observation that the recently -
amalgamated board is
receiving less funding for
transportation than it would be
if the funding received by the
-• former Perth County board
were used to. fund today's
students.
He said that 10 years ago.
the Perth hoard spent S4.2
-million on the transportation
of 1(1.451 students and with
that les eI ttf funding. would be
spending S7.9 million on the
close to 20.000 students now
bused.
However. with ministry
freezing of transportation
funding. the Avon Maitland
board is spending S7.7
million. despite the fact that
gas prices as well as the costs
for all other expenses have
increased over the past 10
years.
Finance superintendent
Janet Baird -Jackson said the
board's transportation budget
_was underfunded by 5300.000
last year. and will be
underfunded by $600.000 this
year. •
"The projections show it's
only going to get worse
because the province is using
1997 levels of -funding." she
said.
Baird -Jackson •said the
sbonfall is being paid from
/several lines of the budget
including the facilities gram:
She said the worst part of
the budget is .the
transportation budget since the
board has no control over the
increasing costs because it has
already made all the savings it
can with shared busing with
the separate school board. •
"Any of the boards that
looked for economies in the
early 80s are -struggling like -
we are." said Baird -Jackson; .
Armstrong said the board
has been lobbying the.
province for additional
transportation funding for- at
least three years- and has
received •acknowledgement
.from the ministry that the
hoard is not receiv-ing`enough
money. •-
"It's particularly galling tri
hear that it will be two years
before there's an answer to the
problem. That's not good
enough." said Armstrong.
She said the transportation
issue is.particularly difficult
for [ural boards. which don't •
have the alternatives that
urban hoards can use. such as
public transit. taxi services
and increased walking
- distances.
• "What do you want us to
do? Send them Istudents - on a
horsey' she said. -
Armstrong pointed out• that
while expanding walking
distances by -a mile in the city
may make. a difference. but
would remove few if any.rural
.students from a school bus.•
Council wants to explore PUC o tions
P P
customer base because of the offered was for the town to least tried one.01 the other
number of municipalitiessell its PMC.. . options and suggested he
they are partnering with and •. But. like running on their would like to hear what the
Phillips suggested the -own. Phillips • ' didn't commissions first and second
Collingwood company is recommend this one right choices are for the .future. -of:.
-close to, having a large -away. the PMC.
enough base to provide •''I think we owe it to our "\ a have to make the
cheaper hydro.rates. customers to lobk•at sortie of decision but la ere. rely Trig on
. He said Collingwood is these scenarios and see.if we • :the people with the
seeking a letter of intent from m
can offer the.a good price." expertise.: he'said.
council so it can make he said. . ' The town must know what
progress in preparing its rates If'council decided. to sell its -rates -are going -to be by
and gettiiready.to provide -the'PMC. it would get its the end of.August. in order to •
services. one-time values from the sale have its bills go out under a'
Council would still beable but have -no• room:.to- .do new •billing system •being put
to opt out of an agreement anything else -in the future.. in pfac,apv -the provincial
with the company if•it agreed'. Phillips said bs at least trying governnWrin November--
to sign a letter of intent. another option. the .town Sometime in •Map w,
Phillips also suggested if could• still decide later on to .have- to do .sornethtng.'- hak,
council was interested -in self the PLC it other said. •
meeting directly with any of scenarios didn;t work out., Deputy's -Reeve Bill Teali
these companies..he could "I'd like to see a .suggested council take time•'
arrange a special meeting for recommendation come back at its -May. 9 meeting to
them. from the commission." said discuss:the• issue and .make
Meanwhile. the companies.:. Coon: Michael Hak. adding ; decision for Mar• 23:
have been holding meetings...'the commission deals with "you're . right. your
at which councils and public • utilities operations 'every day timeline•to get everything
utilities companies hate been while council -does not: place is getting shorter:•' he
invited. He said they shouldn't sell said.
The last•option Phillips the PUC Until they -hale ar
From Page 1
A third option would be to
ti.rm a partnership with
uuhlies companies that have
formed under the new.
deregulated system.
Onc. NNiagara Power. has
had two meetings with
representatives from area
'municipalities and another
company from Collingwood
has. .been seeking a
-partnership with the town.
•These companies
potentially have a larger
Champion
storyteller
pictures
people
in underwear
From Pogo
me in their underwear. It
,works for me.- he says.
Thomas says his two older •
sisters. Carolyn. 8 and
Janele. 10. who also
compere in storytelling and
singing competitions. helped
him prepare for each
contest.
• He •sass• that while he
learned from watching his
sisters; :'I've been telling
stories since I could talk."
The trip to Toronto was
"awesome" with two
g anlc'ads of •family; friends
anLI neighbors coming to
vs ati. h- Thomas compete. .
At the Toronto
competition.: Thomas's
father Mark says if was as•
muih tun to •watch the
audience as it was to watch
his son
"He had them in stitches."
he says.
The storytelling
competition -was. Thomas's
third trip to Toronto but he
says an earlier trip last
November. when he met
singer Anne Murray. was
lust a, exciting. .
The family. who had
r„ rived tickets to the taping
t .in Anne Murray
telc.i,ion special Irwin a
neighbour who works at
('HC'. was enloving the show
when between takes the
master of ceremonies asked
it anyone wanted to getup
and sing a song.
Thomas volunteered. sang
S'ou Are So Beautiful and
ended u.p .giving Anne
SturraY'a [loser he found on
the fluor_and having his
picture taken with her.
'1 felt tike a professional,"
064 says. •
The pore money Thomas
vii;tf
during. -the various
storytelling competition was
a l'onus. -
"I have lois and lots of
bucks now and I'm going to
buy a Nintendo 64," he says.
And while Thomas's
second place . finish
presented him from moving.
on to. the provincial
competition in Trenton,
Thomas says he plans to try
again next year.
"Everyone was so
supportive. It was a great
experience, maybe a once-
in-a-lifetime experience,"
says Joan.
•
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