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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2002-12-04, Page 15a -TM HUSON EXPO$lT011. 011430.1110101 20, 2001 Letters oppose Sy Susan Hundertmark bpositor Staff Following an unsigned letter opposing Huron East council's plans to commit $20,000 to a legal fight to keep Seaforth District High School from being closed by the Avon Maitland District School Board, council received two signed letters with the same message. Council received letters from Charles Regele, president of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture and Gregor Campbell, of Seaforth at its meeting on Tuesday but did not discuss their contents. Regele's letter said putting $20,000 towards a legal fight would be "throwing away good money." "It may be advantageous of letting SDHS go and at least save a very strong elementary school in where the high school is now," he said in the letter, adding that enrolment continues to decrease at SDHS. "The high school has had two to three years to work on increasing enrolment but haven't been successful," he said. Regele said his own family has chosen to send their children to the Catholic system. "Even though appropriate buses go past our lane, the school board made it so that sending Brian to Clinton high school was not feasible. We were three farms out of the boundary for St. Anne's. Brian was forced to go to St. Mike's in Stratford. Add three more kids that will be forced to do the same when it is their turn for high school," he said. Regele suggested in the letter that fighting the provincial funding formula would be more advantageous and recommended that all school boards pass deficit budgets to get the province's attention. "This would send a firm message to government that boards are not in the business of closing more schools," he said in his letter. He said 54 per cent of Ontario schools, both elementary and high schools, havo. less than optimal enrolments for the funding formula. "That identifies 54 per cent of Ontario existing t''4 spending money on legal fight schools for closure. This is not acceptable by any means," he said, adding he's tried unsuccessfully to convince Huron -Bruce MPP Helen Johns to support designating the Avon Maitland as a rural school board. The letter from Gregor Campbell, which was originally sent to school board trustees, said he wants to see the Avon Maitland board "aggressively tackle its problems of over -capacity and spend my taxes on improving the quality of our educational system." "If this means the closure of Seaforth District High School then so be it," said the letter. Campbell said politically - prominent local pressure groups are causing an "archaic infrastructure" to be propped up. "We need to expand our sense of community around here, not appease dangerous demagogues, who foster an unhealthy climate of self- righteous victimization, by clinging to a past which is no longer here. Too much time and money has been wasted on this already," he said. While questioning Mayor Lin Sterner about the status of the possible law suit against the Avon Maitland board, Brussels Coun. Greg Wilson said he's heard from several people who do not want Huron East to spend the $20,000 on a legal battle. "I can get names for you if you want," he said. Deputy -Mayor Bernie McLellan repeated his wish to see ratepayers surveyed before council goes ahead with spending any money on a legal fight. And, Grey Coun. Graeme MacDonald said he'd heard rumours that Central Huron and Goderich are also planning on legal action to fight school closures in their area. "Has anyone heard the same thing?" he asked to a negative reply. Larry McCabe, Goderich administrator, said in a phone interview that Goderich council has not discussed the. possibility of legal action against the school board. "My recent presentation to the board said we had concerns under the Education Act about the fairness of what has transpired but 1 think council wants to go through the process of information meetings and see what happens. Of course legal action is always possible," he said. McCabe said council was concerned about the fairness of hearing about the possible closure of Robertson Public School for the first time on Sometimes the best gifts come in small package's. This holiday season, please give blood. For clinic information, call 1 888 2 DONATE (1 888 236-6283). SEAFORTH DONOR CLINIC Friday, December 28 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. SEAFORTH & DISTRICT COMMUNITY CENTRES 122 Duke St., Seaforth �0) CANADIANIBLOOD SERVICES Blood. It's in you to give. www.bloodservices.ca call:1 888 2 DON The Municipality 'of HURON EAST 527-0160 ti t Seaforth Medical Clinic 527-1770 Oct. 30, despite the series of meetings over.the summer on accommodation review. "We supported the meetings on reviewing boundaries and programs at our schools but the Urban Analysis study the board had done didn't mention the scenario of closure for our schools in it. The first we knew about that was Oct. 30," he said. Fairness is only basis in law courts will examine From Page 1 he wants. "It's supposed to be public knowledge but I want to make sure you get the information you want," she said. Council passed a motion supporting Seili's request. Responding to questions about money spent to date by council on the school closure issue, Seaforth Coun. Dick Burgess said the communications committee has spent a little less than half of the allotted $5,000 council committed to informing the community about possible school closures in Huron East. Burgess also suggested inviting Leitch to speak to council about the direction he feels 'council should take regarding a law suit. "Assuming he feels and we feel he has a case, it would not be wise to inform the board what that case is," said Burgess. During a phone interview, Leitch said he couldn't discuss his plans to collect affidavits or his opinion about the basis of a law suit before speaking with Huron East council. "They might want to discuss these issues in camera," he said. However, Leitch did say any legal case against the school board would have to be based on the issue of fairness, as it was during the successful law suit that prevented SDHS's closure in 2000. "The only basis in law that the courts will deal with about school boards do is fairness," he said. Bluewater hires truck for on-call snow moving By Nellie Evans Lakeshore Advance Editor Bluewater council has hired Richard Webb's loader and truck for on-call snow removal service at $99 per hour. If needed, the Bluewater public works manager will call Webb to remove snow in the ward of Zurich. The same will happen in Bayfield, if there's enough snow to warrant it, with Dan Merner. Council hired his snowblowing service at $44.50 per hour. Regular snow removal will be done by Bluewater staff but manager Ross Fisher explained they aren't allowed to work more than 13 hours per day. Labor regulations have changed since last year, when during a heavy snowfall, staff worked up to 16 hours per day over several consecutive days. Trailer purchased to move equipment Instead of renting a trailer as done in the past, the Bluewater works department will buy a heavy trailer to move works and recreation department equipment. The trailer will cost $4,000 plus.tax and will be used, among other tasks, to transport lawn mowers. Scouts to use former PUC shed The Municipality of Bluewater has given the First Hensall Scouts permission to store equipment in the former public utilities commission shed in Hensall. Council is asking the group to carry insurance and be aware that if the building is sold, they have two weeks to move out. New tractor for Bayfield arena, rec. dept. Bluewater council agreed to buy a $31,455 (taxes included) John Deere tractor from Huron Tractor near Exeter for use at the Bayfield arena in winter and by Bluewater recreation department staff in summer. The tractor comes with an air purifier because of its use with the Bayfield ice resurfacing machine. One of five tenders, the tractor is near the low end of the scale with the lowest being $31,422 and the highest being $35,834. BOXING WEEK SALE JOIN US FOR OUR FIRST EV R BOXING WEEK SALE DEC. 27, 28 & 29 EVERYTHING oo, on SALE! Fabrics up to 50% off Notions 15%o/f JINNY BEYER tiln% MIRAGE KIT off , ige ;1.17abiric $hoppe 23 Albert St., Stratford 273-5773