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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2002-11-06, Page 8Blyth 523-9709 2 -THE HURON EXJPOSITOR, Novwsior 211, 2001 Need To Store Something? NOW OPEN Slestorth Mint storage —All Units Heated - 30 Mill Rd., Egmondville 522-1043 or 522-1060 SEAFORTH INSURANCE • BROKER LTD. 527-1610 • Home • Commercial •Auto • Farm • Out of Province Travel Insurance 41 Main SL S. Seaforth Chnsta Leonhardi, Lynn Ptetsch, Ken Cardno, Barb Watt and Joanne Williamson Makes a Great Stocking Stuffer HALL OF FLAME 2002 CALENDARS $15.00 Each All Proceeds To Muscular Dystrophy Available at Pages Bookstores Seaforth or Betty Glanville 527-0236 4e4ThaI J!a4*/dli S41. We're open Sundays in December (December 2nd, 9th, 16th & 23rd; 12:00-4:00 p.m.), ONE FREE TURKEY TO BE`?&‘•64 WON EVERY SUNDAY - Sunday Shoppers only - Men's Night SAVE 20 Storewide Friday. December 14th News County should join school fight says Huron East councillor By Scott Hiigondorff Expositor Editor All of Huron County needs to be involved in the fight to keep schools open, said Tuckersmith Coun. Larry McGrath. "Huron County is losing schools, not just Huron East," said McGrath at Huron East council's Nov. 20 meeting. But instead of working together, he said communities are letting the Avon Maitland District School Board put municipalities in a situation where each is fighting to keep its own schools open. The school board has listed approximately 20 schools in Huron County and will vote Dec. 11 on which ones to study for possible closure with a final decision to be made as early as February. Less than half that many schools have been listed in Perth County. McGrath, and other councillors, have been critical of the board for making decisions that seem to favor Perth County. Councillors have referred to the fact when the Huron and Perth school boards amalgamated into the Avon Maitland District School Board, Huron County had to absorb a deficit from the Perth Board and yet, Perth County has one extra trustee on the board. The board has four trustees ' from Huron and five trustees 'from Perth. McGrath said the fight needs to be organized on a county -wide level to keep everyone united. "We're plotting against each other," he said. If Seaforth District High School closes, one of the schools on the list for possible study, it is believed many will be bussed to Central Huron Secondary School in Clinton. But McGrath asked if they are bussing students that far, what would stop Central Huron from being closed in two more years, a concern being discussed by concerned residents, and bussing the students even further to Goderich. "I would like to see us involved with the other municipalities as well," he said. Seaforth Coun. Dick Burgess disagreed saying Huron East needs to show leadership in this issue. "At the moment, no other municipality is likely to lose [like Huron East]. Where we had, a couple years ago, six schools, we're winding up with one," he said. Walton and Vanastra schools are already closed and Grey Central Public School, Brussels Public School and Seaforth District High School are now facing closure. Because Huron East communities are being hit harder by school closures, Burgess said he would be receptive to support from other municipalities but that Huron East has to lead the fight. He also said they are up against a time factor now to convince trustees, that he said he believes may have already made up their minds, to leave Huron East schools open, having already closed two. Tuckersmith Coun. Bill DeJong agreed with McGrath Quoted 'We're plotting against each other:— Cow. Cow+. tarry McGrath (5-C: IP" iiii:1•4-40 BAB 01P 20421 Make sure you're one of the proud parents or grandparents to show off the newest member of your family. Join The Huron Expositor's "Babies on Parade" A Photo Display of Babies born in 2001 la)Published Wed. Jan. 2, 2002 DEADLINE - DECEMBER 27th, 12:00 Noon 1 Send or bring a picture of your little one born in 2001, including full name, • birthdate and parents' names, to be featured in The Huron Expositor's "Babies 1 Parade" on January 2, 2002 for only $15.50 (GST included). Please send picture (with name on back) along with a cheque to The Huron Expositor, P.O. Box 69, Seaforth, Ont., NOK 1WO by 2:00 p.m., Thurs Dec. 27. Photos may be picked up after January 5. This must be pre -paid. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1. 1 1 on 1 Please Complete Baby's Full Name Birth Date Parents' Names $15.50 Enclosed ❑ 1 1 Expositor 11 Main St., Seaforth 527-0140 1 (2is4t4iir°40 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 but while Mayor Lin Steffler said it's a good idea, "We have to have our plan of action in place. Anyone else is welcome to join us." Brussels Coun. Joe Seili said it is important to see communities in Brussels and Grey working together as well. "Battle lines have been drawn," he said as the two schools in those Huron East wards, the closest to each other in the overall municipality, have been listed for possible closure. McKillop Coun.tSharon McClure asked if the closure issue has ever been brought up at Huron County Council. Steffler and Deputy Mayor Bernie MacLellan, Huron East's representatives on county council, said, "No." "Why are we not bringing this up at county council?" asked McGrath. He said he realizes time is an issue but that if Huron East loses its schools, two years from now, Central Huron could face closure in Clinton, suggesting they need to get organized now before it is too late for other schools as well. "We haven't got time to get county council involved," said Steffler. "It won't do any good. Dealing with the school board is not a political issue. It's a public issue," said MacLellan. "It's a tax issue," said McGrath, adding he had a call from an area resident who bought land here because there is a high school. He said it is equally as important as a political issue as it is a public issue because if they lose people to communities with schools, they won't get new industries and will lose the tax base. MacLellan said the presentations they make as political bodies don't matter to the board now. "Unless we can find a legal reason, it doesn't matter how many presentations we make. We can work 40 hours a week to pester them. They have already made up their mind. It's a lost cause without legal issues." After that discussion, council proceeded to pass motions to begin working with a lawyer and on a public education plan to generate community support as quickly as possible for saving Huron East schools and to begin finding a way to prevent the board from closing them on a legal front. Council seeking support across Huron East in school fight From Page 1 Huron East already lost its public schools in Vanastra and Walton last year during the board's first round of school closures. Lawyer Fred Leitch had been hired by a group of concerned citizens and successfully argued a case in court that prevented the board from closing the high school because the board's closure process was deemed unfair. Huron and Perth Counties, represented by the board, are now going through a new closure process the board designed to reflect the court's ruling on fairness. Council has been trying to figure out how to help the community keep its schools and is in unanimous support of keeping the schools open, despite some debate on how to go about it. "We've got at least 10 ratepayers in different wards and they took the time to contact councillors," said MacLellan of the people who came forward to express their concerns. "If schools are closed in our area, we will survive but the costs to those ratepayers will far exceed the $20,000 if we lose those schools," said Mayor Lin Steffler, in support of a motion to set aside up to $20,000 for legal expenses. "What about the 7,000 people who didn't complain?" asked Steffler. But MacLellan said because people haven't expressed their opinions doesn't mean they can arbitrarily be counted in support of council's present course of action. Steffler said she wasn't sure they should make a decision based on the "vocal minority." She said this decision is giving visual support to the groups out there fighting to keep their schools open. Grcy Coun. Graeme MacDonald said he has not heard from anyone concerned about spending the money. "I think the people in Grey and Brussels would be 100 per cent behind it," he said. Coun. Dick Burgess is a former SDHS teacher and a member of one of the study groups the board set up to look at closure issues for different clusters of schools across the board. He agreed with Steffler that a financial commitment would have "symbolic value." Groups in Seaforth have been fighting for about four years now to keep the local schools open. He also suggested that if the board can see council make this kind of commitment, it might provoke a suggestion from the board's own lawyer to back off. "Or at least we'll get their attention," he said. Tuckersmith Coun. Larry McGrath said he did not sec anything wrong with waiting until they know for sure they have a case to commit the money. Council was already showing its support by passing four other motions that involved supporting the schools, setting up a committee to prepare a plan and promote the fight to keep Huron East schools open, and at least retaining Leitch to see if he could develop a case. McKillop Coun. Ferg Kelly agreed, saying he was not against spending the money but that by passing the other motions already demonstrates their support and commitment to the community. Brussels Coun. Joe Seili pointed out the $20,000 would amount to about $2 per household to go toward saving schools across Huron East. "That's what they'll spend on a lottery ticket, that they'll have to put up to save their schools. You can't get a coffee and toast anyplace for $2," he said. ti