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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2006-04-12, Page 11Oral Health Mounting scientific evidence suggests there is a link between oral health and a person's overall health, particularly among seniors. And maintaining healthy teeth and gums at this stage of life is even more important than when you were younger. Ontario Dental �►►. ASSOCIATION This messa a is brou . ht to ou b For information about oral health care, please contact the Ontario Dental Association at 416-922-3900 or toll free 1-800-387-1393 or visit www.oda.on.ca our local dentists. News The Huron Expositor • April 12, 2006 Page 11 Avon Maitland school board spends more than expected on various capital projects Stew Slater The Avon Maitland District School Board spent almost $75,000 more than expected while repaving around elementary •schools in Hensall, Seaforth and R.R. 1 Brucefield, almost $50,000 more than expected while roofing at Clinton Public School, and almost $44,000 more than expected while renovating the former King Lear Public School in Stratford. But contractors also came in under the original tendered price by about $44,000 for roofing and $60,000 for technical education facilities at South Huron District High School in Exeter, by about $35,000 for upgrading windows at Central Huron Secondary School in Clinton, and by about $44,000 for roofing North Easthope Public School at R.R. 1 Stratford. And for the fiscal year 2004-05, actual prices paid by the board for tendered projects were, overall, 4.48 per cent less than the original prices given. And that's an improvement over last year, noted South Huron trustee Randy, Wagler, after hearing a staff report about the Comparison at a regular meeting Tuesday, March 28. Business superintendent Janet Baird -Jackson explained various reasons why the final cost of a pro- ject might change, including fluctu- ations in material costs between the time a tender is awarded and the work takes place, problems in orga- nizing when different contractors can be on site in accordance with Ministry of Labour regulations, and decisions to change the "scope" of the job after preliminary work reveals unexpected troubles. "The problem with Clinton Public School was that, when we got on to the job we found there was water penetration in places where it. hadn't been noticed before," Baird - Jackson said. She noted a trade-off would have been to employ more expensive diagnostic measures before any work was undertaken, but in most cases -- where deep water penetra- tion appears not to have occurred -- this added expense would be unnec- essary. With the three -site paving project, meanwhile, a decision was made after the tender had been awarded to expand parking for those in wheelchairs. "There were also ground drainage problems at the Huron Centennial (near Brucefield) site which were discovered when the existing asphalt was removed," explains the staff report. According to Baird -Jackson, efforts have been made by the board to more accurately define its pro- jects rojects before going to tender, as well as put more emphasis on a contrac- tor's reputation and track record. "It has slowed up our design somewhat but we believe our deci- sions have improved," she said. At the March 28 meeting, two new multi -site tenders were awarded fol- lowing trustee votes: lighting upgrades at elementary schools in Brussels, Atwood, Gorrie, Listowel and Gowanstown; and a similar pro- ject at elementary schools in St. Pauls, Milverton, North Easthope, Shakespeare and St. Marys. JMR Electric was awarded the contract in the north, at a price of $238,300, while Culliton Brothers Electric filed the successful bid in the south, at $276,500. Perth East trustee Tina Traschel cast the sole dissenting vote in each case. There have been suggestions the money shouldn't be used on schools expected to close within the next 10 years, and Traschel argued the board can not guarantee continued operation of each school for that long. Education director Geoff Williams, however, countered that he's willing to take the risk of hav- ing the money taken back by the government several years from now, if it means providing a better learn- ing environment in the short term. CHSS gym;:receiving board funding of$1.6 million The Avon Maitland District School board is investing $1.6 million in Central Huron Secondary School over the next two years. The lion's share will go towards renovating the school's large gym- nasium, which has not had an overhaul since 1963. The gym will see the removal of the stage to extend the playing sur- face, and a new hard- wood floor will be added to replace the decaying and out -dated tile floor. The -gym will also have the following items replaced or added: lighting, heat - ing and air condition- ing„ seating, change rooms, basketball backboards/nets, regu- lation -sized volleyball - basketball and bad- minton courts, a new storage area, stage, video and media con- nections and display, and sound system. The new facilities in the gym will be noth- ing short of state-of- the-art: In their effort to fur- ther the cause to acquire a new gym, the students and staff at CHSS have been fund raising for the past two years, raising $40,000 so far. CHSS has committed G.. itself to raising a total of $100,000 to be put towards the total cost of the gym's renova- tions. This year's RedWalk (walk-a-thon) will see all proceeds go towards renewing the centre piece of the school. Students and staff will be canvassing neighbourhoods look- ing for donations/pledges to help reach the goal. 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