HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2001-05-30, Page 1K- ,
Schools in crisis
Some
schools
will close:
Leitch
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Staff
A decision between
closing Seaforth or
Clinton's high schools or
putting Grades 7 and 8
into both schools is what
Huron East
representative Fred
Leitch said the West
Central accommodation
study committee will
ultimately have to make.
"It's clear from
everything we've seen
that you can't keep all
these schools open. A
decision about closure is
surely coming. To cut to
the heart of the matter,
we have to determine
what's the best way of
consolidating or closing
schools that will have
' the least amount of
impact on the
communities," he said
Tuesday.
While the first
meeting of the West
Central community
accommodation study
committee (including
schools in the Goderich,.
Clinton and Seaforth
area) last Wednesday did
not discuss possible
school closures, Leitch
said, "We're ahead of
the game in Seaforth."
"They're (the rest of
the committee is) where
we (Seaforth people)
were two years ago.
They still need time to
distill the information
and reach conclusions on
it," he said.
Leitch said June 2003
when the last OAC class
graduates
(discontinuing the OAC
level) along with the
Grade 12 graduates is
"crunch time" when high
schools are going to lose
population.
"Seaforth and Clinton
will be in real trouble
then," he said.
He said his preferred
solution would' be
moves Grades 7 and 8
into the high schools
Soo SCHOOL, Page 7
Reward offered in arson case
By Scott Hilgendorff
Expositor Editor
A $5,000 reward is being
offered by the Seaforth
community for information
leading to the arrest and
conviction of an arsonist
who has set 10 fires in the
downtown area in the past
eight weeks.
An angry Huron East
mayor watched from her van
as one of Quality Jersey
Products' buildings burned
early Monday morning.
"We have to do
something," she told The
Expositor on Monday.
While money for the
reward still has to be raised,
Steffler is expecting between
council, the downtown
Business Improvement Area
and community members, to
raise $5,000 or more.
"The more people that
want to get involved, the
better. We've got to put a
stop to this," said Steffler,
hoping community members
will eine forward to
contribute to the reward.
"Let's make it a community
project."
Downtown business
owners and residents are
scared, angry and frustrated
and Steffler is hoping
offering a reward beyond
what Crime Stoppers
contribiites will help
encourage someone to come
forward with information
about who the arsonist is.
"It's very frustrating. What
can you do? Is $5,000
enough?" asked Bob Fisher,
new BIA chair, on Tuesday
morning.
"I couldn't sleep last night.
I was worried about it. I'm
concerned there will be a
large fire and someone will
die," he said.
He is encouraging
businesses and building
owners to make sure their
buildings are clear of debris
and that garbage dumpsters
are moved away from the
building.
He is suggesting extra
lighting be installed in the
alley ways and has suggested
Sae ANONYMOUS, Page 20
Scott Hiigendorff photos
Sky lit
by flames
Members of the Seaforth Fire
Department kept a fire from
spreading to neighbouring homes
after an arsonist is believed to
have set fire to a warehouse
building at Quality Jersey near
Seaforth's downtown. It's the 10th
fire in eight weeks as an arsonist
sets fires every other weekend.
Damage has been done to several
buildings but this is the first time
any structures have been lost. In
late April Ice Dreams, a local sports
store, was closed down because of
smoke damage late last month
and fire was minutes from
spreading into the main portion of
Sills Hardware, if someone had not
seen the blaze in the rear storage
area in time.
Family wakes to find garage inflames
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Staff
Woken by some bangs around 1
a.m. Monday, Paul Hey, of 100 High
St., looked out the window to see his
garage on fire; next to it, a storage
building for Quality Jersey was
burning.
"My husband called in the alarm,
we got out of the house, moved some
vehicles and waited for the fire
department," said Carol Hey Tuesday
morning.
Carol said their house is close to
the garage and she and her husband
were frightened the fire might spread
to the house.
"It's something I hope I never have
to live through again," she said.
The garage, which received
$30,000 in damages according to the
Huron OPP, had all of its contents
destroyed, said Carol.
"There were tools, lawnmowers -
we lost everything," she said.
The fire also burned a storage shed,
dumpster and trailer at Quality Jersey
Products Ltd. at 112 High St, a
cheese cooperative owned by 14
Southwestern Ontario -area farmers.
While the Huron OPP report
estimates $30,000 in damages for
Quality Jersey's property, president
Bruce'Schmidt said damages will be
clatter to $150,000.
"At the time the police asked, we
didn't give it a whole lot of thought
but now that we're going through the
damages item by item, our damages
have gone way beyond $30,000," he
said Tuesday morning.
Damaged in the fire were spare
equipment and packaging materials,
some of it, such as labels for
Limburger cheese, difficult to replace
quickly.
"This situation is getting fairly
serious. It's gotten way past the point
of being an evening prank," said
Schmidt of the fire, which is the 10th
fire set during the past eight weeks in
Seaforth.
While police have charged a 17 -
year -old Tuckersmith youth with
mischief under $5,000 in connection
with the trash can fire in front of
Tremeer Commerical Printers in
April, they continue to investigate the
other nine fires with their crime and
identification unit.
Police believe Monday morning's
fire is connected with the rest.
It is the largest of the fires to date
as an arsonist continues to set fires
every second weekend in the
downtown area of Seaforth.
BARBFCUI DAY
1' ritiaJune t 11:30(1111 - zilill )
Available at:
Seaforth Plumbing & Heating
To help celebrate our 16th Anniversary...
We'II be serving up some
BBQ Not Dogs and Pop
with donations to The Seaforth Community Hospital Foundation
15 Goderich St.,
Seaforth
527-0505
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