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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2002-11-20, Page 22 -TRE HURON EXPOSITOR, DSCSYSam 12, 2001 SEAFORTH INSURANCE BROKER LTD. 527-1610 • Home • Commercial •Auto • Farm • Out of Province Travel Insurance 41 Main St. S. Seaforth Chnsta Leonhard, Lynn Pletsch, Ken Cwdno, Barb Watt and Joanne Williamson Limited Time Savings On Last Minute Gift Ideas! Cordless Phones 5999 SAVE $20°0 Many other models in stock Snowman Figurines From 79 Corner your Christmas.Shopping at... Nifty Korners 33 Main St., Seaforth each RadioShack k 527-1680 A Performing Trio to Face Winter! Take advantage of a $10 discount with the purchase of a Shower 1 Bath Gel, `LABORATot a Hand Cream and a Labial SPF 15, RE DR attractively giftwrapped. RENAUD THIS HOLIDAY TRIO FOR —rte ONLY $26 Full Service Salon 59 Main St., Seaforth 527-0780 Open 6 days & 4 evenings! Grade 7, 8 idea not as feasible From Page 1 Superintendent Bill Gerth on Monday. While it appeared the board was being unresponsive to the community's wishes, Gerth said the unworkability of the addition of Grades 7 and 8 to the high school was so "self- evident" to board staff that the comparison wasn't added to the report until both Seaforth school councils kept bringing it up as a solution. Unmentioned in the report is the location of the Seaforth Cooperative Children's Centre at the current Seaforth Public School site. But, Gerth said the board is aware of the daycare centre and hopes to be able to offer free space to the centre at the relocated public school. "We haven't had any discussions with them yet. That will be in the final report and fall under community impact," he said. The daycare centre has been located on SPS property for 20 years but director Shirley Brooker said the centre owns its buildings and could choose to follow the public school to the new location if necessary. "We do need more space so moving might be a good thing," she said. After studying the possible closure of one of the three schools in the'Brussels, Grey and Elma cluster, the report recommended none of the three options because of the "high capital costs involved." While considering the closure of Grey Central Public School, the report stated that Brussels would need six additional classrooms to accommodate the extra Grey students, along with extended bus routes, resulting in maximum ride times of 50-70 minutes. And, while closing Grey would result in annual savings of $134,702, it would cost the board $612,456 to make the building additions needed to accommodate the students. The option of closing Brussels PublicSchool was a similar story with the need for four more classrooms at Grey Central School, two additional buses and an extended route. To produce an annual savings of $95,735, the board would have to pay $373,042 to house the students. Brussels Public School council chair Mary Jean Bell said Friday she was "very pleased" that neither Brussels nor Grey Central Public School will be considered for closure. "We didn't want to see either one closed because we're very close with each other," she said. Mardy Bacigalupo Hair razing effort... Rob VandenHengel, a Grade 7 teacher at St. Columban School, added some spice to the school's fundraising effort for the Christmas Bureau last Friday, saying he would have his head shaved if his class exceeded their goal. They did—and then some, almost doubling it when they raised more than $100. VandenHengel's class also donated money to the school's toy drive. Above, Jacquie Wildfong performs the finishing touches in front of the entire student body. Armstrong urges taking fight to Queens Parkin Toronto From Page 1 It's a hornet's nest because some boards are quite the opposite and are getting more transportation dollars than they need," he said. But, while a provincial bail-out might solve the transportation budget this year, Armstrong said the deficit budget is no solution to save any of its schools from closing. "Transportation is our number one problem but it's only one of our problems. We have a number of other problems," he said. With a provincial funding formula that is tied to enrolment, Bluewater has a declining enrolment of three per cent a year, creating a "significant problem." After a review of seven schools last year, which resulted in the closure of two, Armstrong said the Bluewater board will be doing a "very serious review" of 44 schools this year. The provincial funding formula says the Bluewater board needs to reduce its accommodations by 460,000 square feet during the next five years, which translates into about 15 elementary schools. "Obviously, we can't close that many but that's what the funding formula suggests we ought to be doing. The formual is geared to the ideal enrolment for citytschools but those configurations just don't work in the rural areas," he said. "But, there will be closures in the next round," he said. Armstrong said he believes the only thing that will stop school closures is a changed funding formula. "That's what it's going to take and lots and lots of people showing up at Queens Park, telling the government they don't agree with them." "Go to any community meeting and 80 per cent of the people there have grey hair. They're the ones who vote Conservative," he said. He said a large percentage of the Bruce and Grey Counties' population is seniors and they're the ones without children in the system who need help understanding current education issues. Armstrong said the alternative is to wait until Toronto schools begin to suffer declining enrolment but added that by then, rural boards could be decimated. "We need a unified and consistent cry for help," he said of the need for school boards to Work'together. Armstrong said that while one of the Bluewater district's MPPs, Bill Murdoch, was "very interested and concerned," the board didn't have the same luck with its other MPP, Huron -Bruce representative Helen Johns. "She attended a meeting and listened carefully but she was not as involved in advocating for us," he said. Johns told The Expositor sister paper, The Kincardine News in a recent interview that she didn't believe all of the $1.3 million deficit was related to transportation. Huron East supports restoring health care By Scott Hilgendorff Expositor Editor Huron East is supporting a Township of Havelock -Belmont - Methuen resolution requesting the provincial government restore the health care system to a previous state. "Return to what? I really don't understand," asked McKillop Coun. Ferg Kelly at council's Dec. 4 meeting before the resolution was supported. "I took it that there just wasn't enough money in the system," said Deputy Looking for your lowest mortgage rate? You found it. 3.33% The Scotia Save Now, Save LaterTM' Mortgage For a 1 -year fixed term with a guaranteed 1% rate discount at renewal on maturity or early renewal to a 3 -year + term Limited time offer. Ask for details at your local Scotiabank branch. 66 Ontario Road, Mitchell 348-8469 171:r �'Scotiabank Mayor Bernie MacLellan. Mayor Lin Steffler said she understood it to mean they want money restored into the health care system that had been taken out over the past several years. Council concerned about day care funding cuts A letter is being sent to Huron Bruce MPP Helen Johns saying municipalities should have input if day care funding is going to be cut and objecting to cuts in the first place. This followed the reocipt of a letter from the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care saying, "The Ontario Tories are poised to pull all funding from licenced child care in the province. A Ministry of Community and Social Services policy paper leaked to the media recommends cutting 45 per cent of the current child care budget and funneling the remainder into low cost alternatives." Mayor Lin Steffler said she would like to find out how accuratc that information is before BLYTH AND BRUSSELS MEDICAL CLINICS RELOCATING TO SEAFORTH MEDICAL CLINIC Effective January 1, 2002 the medical clinics in Blyth and Brussels will be relocating to Seaforth. The staff and physicians at the Seaforth Medical Clinic would like to assure all our patients that we will continue to provide medical service to you. The decision to relocate these clinics was not made with- out careful consideration and we understand that the relocation of these clinics will inconvenience many of our patients who will now have to travel. Patients from Byth and Brussels may call the Seaforth Medical Clinic to make an appointment to see their physician. 527-1770 taking serious action. Huron East currently operates a child care facility in Vanastra. "Ouch again," said Deputy Mayor Bernie MacLellan after hearing the news of another potential government cutback. "This is an absolute disgrace," said Steffler, urging people to contact their MPPs. Seaforth Coun. Bill Teal! made the motion that Johns be contacted, telling her council is concerned about these possible cuts. Kara L. Pepper, RMT Rcdistmd Massage Tlurepist Contact: Seaforth Chiropractic Clinic 527-1242 for an appointment NOTICE Por the convenience of our clients SEAFORTH VETERINARY CLINIC will be open THURSDAY EVENINGS by appointment only Please can for.appointments 519-527-1760 rct