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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2001-10-17, Page 3TMS HURON tXPO$ITOo, October 17, 2001-3 WINTHROP MAPLE SYRUP Maple, Honey and Pork Products . Specializing in Maple Flavoured Sausage THIS WEEK'S SPECIAL SAUSAGE s259O • Ray & Barb Storey RRM1 Seatorth 519427-1049 By Appointment SEAFORTH INSURANCE BROKER LTD. 527-1610 • Home aJ r' • Commercial *Auto • Farm • Out of Province Travel Insurance 41 Main St. S. Seaford) Christa Leonhardt, Lynn Ptetsch, Ken Cardno, Barb Watt and Joanne Williamson Scott Hiigendorff photo In the trenches... Paul Fazekas a soil technician checks the compaction of soil in the bottom of a "trench" dug acrosslondon Road 8 km south of Egmondville. The road was temporarily closed as a new municipal drain was pit in place. Committee suggests movingGrade 7, 8s from the trustee, Pike stated the group had taken those benchmarks from the provincial government's educational funding formula, through a report given to it by Avon Maitland staff at its first meeting. Smith countered by holding up a copy of the' provincial funding formula and arguing there is no direct reference to "benchmarks" in the document. He suggested the figure could only be derived by something he called "backwards math," in which an optimum student capacity may be derived from such factors as the normal rate of pay for a principal and the funding formula's assessment of how many students a principal should ideally serve. Other speakers were challenged in other ways by various trustees. By Stew Slater Special to The Huron Expositor Moving Grades 7 and 8 from Seaforth Public School to Seaforth District High School is a "made-in- Seaforth" solution that might not work elsewhere, West Central community accommodation study committee spokesperson Shelley Kaastra told the Avon Maitland District School Board on Oct. 9. "We were looking at each community solving their own problems with the cohort year (when two groups of students graduate from high school at once, due to the discontinuation of the five- year high school program) and the empty spaces in high schools," Kaastra explained. Such a solution would both relieve overcrowding at the elementary school . and decrease the number of vacant student spaces in the secondary school. An evening of oral presentations was held last Tuesday, Oct. 9, by representatives of four regional groups studying potential solutions to the Avon Maitland District School Board's student accommodation woes. At the board's regular meeting, trustees and staff sat through presentations from the four Community Accommodation Study Committees (CASCs), which were put together last May by the board in an effort to gather information from the communities served by its schools. South Study Area representative Peter Bush stirred everyone to attention by shouting out thc final word of one sentence. Bush, by far thc most theatrical of the speakers, was stating that a school system has "failed" if all its schools are the same, because that means each school isn't rooted in thc distinct community in which it stands. "Huron County is not Perth County. They are different. That's not to say one is better than the other, but they are different." Bush said. "It is, in fact, thc differences that make a school strong." Bush spoke on behalf of thc entire South Study Area CASC, despite thc fact the writtcn submission from the group presented anything but a united front. The Mitchell -arca resident addressed this in his presentation. explaining how the group had split into three separate groups -- defined by the area's three high schools -- following its second meeting in June. But he suggested the process led to one significant point of consensus among the groups: that the solution to the board's problems will have to vary from community to community. "The whole gist of this report is that (community) is culturally -defined," Bush said, when answering a trustee's question about his definition of community. "Solutions will be based on communities. There will be differences between communities. Not all the schools will look the same because they don't look the same now." Much consideration was given by all speakers to the fact parents in many communities adamantly oppose such realignment. The Stratford and North CASCs came down firmly opposed to the notion, while a "minority report" from representatives of Stratford Central Secondary School expressed support for the idea. A community -by - community focus was definitely not the suggestion of the North CASC report. Though presenter Bob Pike stressed the North CASC didn't advocate applying the exact same solutions across the board, he did admit that the group had approached its study from a board -wide perspective. "The thinking behind that was that you do it in the context of the big picture," he explained. "It didn't mean you did the same thing everywhere; it meant that you did it with the big plan in mind." Indeed, one of the group's recommendations is to close an unspecified number of secondary schools and consolidate the students into the larger existing schools. Under questioning from Central Huron trustee Charles Smith, Pike stated that the committee didn't recommend the closure of either of the high schools within its own study area. Smith asked which of the board's other high schools the group considered should be closed, but Pike said that question wasn't considered. "You have the ability to make your own decisions. We're not here to tell you how to make decisions," Pike told Smith. The exchange was part of a longer discussion between Smith and Pike, in which Smith challenged the North Study Area presenter to justify the group's usage of so-called "benchmarks," setting the minimum number of students required in a school for it to operate cost- effectively. In response to questioning FREE BOWLING All children and families are invited to Starlight Lanes bowling alley for one free game of bowling... HALLOWEEN NIGHT Wednesday, October 31 7pm - 9pm Don't forget your costumes! This event sponsored by Seaforth Co-operative Children's Centre Serving Huron & Perth Book now and be ready for the holidays! Barbara Denbeigh Hollingworth 8A.BSc.MA Trained in Montreal and Toronto, with over 20 years experience in skin aqd body care. Micro - Dermabrasion will give you fast and amazing results! Ideal for: ♦ Restoring & beautifying aging skin • Sun -damaged skin ♦ Uneven, granular skin ♦ Blackheads & Comedones ♦ Lines and wrinkles • Dilated pores ♦ Acne scars Before After located at... Goderich Medical Centre 181 Cambria Rd.,N. C.oderich Call for a FREE consultation — 524-9727 E Olt � PitAYING *Calcium Dust Control *Rust Protection *Driplesq Available Phone 527-1840 Dwayne Pryoe 527-2097 Call For An Appointment FAST, MAKE SERVICE! STOP BY OUR NEW LOCATION AT 19 Main St. ,Seaforth (just south of our former store) ✓ Same great service ✓ Large Selection ✓ More Savings Than Ever Before! In -Stock Wallcoverings Many Books NOW ON SALE! HILDBRAND PAINT & PAPER 19 Main St Sof •. ^ 527-188 Volunteer Board Members Needed The Grey Bruce Huron Perth District Health Council (DHC) is seeking two (2) enthusiastic individuals from the County of Huron who have a genuine interest in the local health care system to serve on its Board. As a DHC board member you will be involved in decisions that affect local health care services and also learn about the government's on-going reform of the health care system. The DHC is seeking applications from individuals to serve as "consumer" representatives. To be eligible as a "consumer", you must reside in the County of Huron but not be involved in the provision of health services. The mandate of the DHC is as follows: • To advise the Minister of Health and Long -Term Care on local health care needs and other local health matters; To make recommendatioPis on the allocation of resources to meet the health needs in the District; and • To plan for the development and implementation of an integrated health care system in the District. Interested candidates are invited to submit a letter of interest and a brief summary of volunteer and work experience by October 26, 2001 to: . Recruitment and Development Committee Grey Bruce Huron Perth DHC P.O. Box 610 235 St. George Street Mitchell, Ontario NOK 1NO Fax: (519) 348-9749 Email: admin @ gbhpdhc.on.ca For more information about the DHC, please contact Jim Whaley, Executive Director at (519) 348-4498 or 1-888-648-3712. All information submitted becomes the property of the Grey Bruce Huron Perth District Health Council, and as such will be subject to the provisions of the Fromm