Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1981-01-28, Page 25U local school close: Parents say they'd move A total of 24 families said that they would consider moving away from Grand Bend or the area, if the local public school is closed. The 24 families said this in response to a recent survey sent out by the committee working to save Grand Bend school. Co-ordinator Art Read said that that figure represents 14 percent of the responses to the survey. The committee received 169 responses to the 1000 sur- veys which they sent out. Read said that the com- mittee was pleased with the response, because of the timing, and also because they had asked the public to return the replies on their own. In the comments on the surveys, several said they are pleased with the environ- ment here for the children, and would not have con- sidered moving here if there had not been a walking dis- tance school. Several other comments were in the same vein. Other parents said that they would change their school support so their children could attend Mr. Carmel. One parent wrote: "We lived in a community that closed the school and sent children five miles to a central township school, prior to moving here. That community is slowly dying as a viable place to live -six businesses have closed up." Still other parents said that if Grand Bend school closed, and they were told to send their children to Bosanquet school, they would try to make arrangements for their children to attend Stephen Central, which is closer to them. Of those responding to the survey, 73 percent felt that closing the school would dis- courage families from mov- ing into the area. Co-ordinator Art Read said it was interesting to note that 95 percent of those who replied said that quality education and good services should come first before "cost cutting". He pointed out that of those who do not have children or relatives in elementery school, 97 per- cent were not in favour of "cost cutting" before quali- ty education. Read said that some of the representatives of the Lambton County Board of Education have said that costs have to be cut because the majority of people living in Ontario do not have children in the school system. Read says that even those who don't have children want a quality educational system. Several of the responses to that question included com- ments such as "cost cut- tingshould come at the ad- minstrative levels," or "cost cutting should take place in the Board of educa- tion office." One taxpayer with grandchildren in school said that "our children should have the best regardless of cost." An overwhelming majori- ty of those responding felt that the Grand )fiend school fills a need for a ptacefor various community ac- tivities. Similarly, a 95 per- cent majority felt that the school provides children with adequate extra- curricular activities. The close availability of emergency medical and den- tal facilities was important to 93 percent of the people responding. Grand Bend school is located very near the medical centre building. There was no criticism for the quality of the instruc- tional program at Grand Bend school. About 97 per- cent felt that the instruction at the school was excellent. Parents, who had moved to Grand Bend school from large central schools, said that their children's grades and social relations have im- proved significantly. One comment said that the teachers and principal at Grand Bend school are better than average and due to the size of the school, get to know the children per- sonally. Other parents said that their children were now in secondary school, and they received a good education in Grand Bend and have gone on to do well. Grand Bend citizens said that they are pleased that their grandchildren are lear- ning and are being challeng- ed significantly at Grand Planning board hears delegates The Grand Bend planning Planning board gave board met with several approval to Ray Richardson delegations Monday night in of Ray's Gulf to renovate his what Reeve Robert Sharen premises. There will be no called a "productive changes to the exterior meeting" dimensions of his building. Rod Rice of the Rice Group Robert Simpson of Won - and Grand Cove Estates dergrove Cottages was attended the meeting to work granted a zoning change out problems his company from a commercial tourist had been having with the area to residential. village. Sharen said that the village agreed to rezone the Another snow Grand Bend portion of Grand Cove Estates and in vehicle crash turn, Rice agreed to develop Provincial Police at it to the village's desires. Pinery Park investigated "We got what we wanted," another snow vehicle ac- Sharen, said. cident on the Ausable River Agreements on sewer at highway 21 Saturday. The costs were also made bet- snowmobile was operated by ween the two groups. Orville Smith of London. John Brock attended the Injuries were minor and meeting representing damage was estimated at Knapps Amusements and $1500 to the snow machine. presented plans for Last week Pinery OPP renovations to the planning investigated a two snow board. The board decided to vehicle crash on the same invite all the neighbours of river. the amusement park to the During the week of next meeting to see if there January 18 to 24, police at would be any objections to Pinery Park laid 12 charges the proposed re -building. under the highway traffic "Everybody ton planning act. Two charges were laid board) liked his plans," under the liquor licence, and Sharen said. three charges were laid under the motorized snow vehicle act. One theft and one break, enter and theft were investigated. Two charges were laid under the compulsory insurance act, and 17 additional miscellaneous occurrences were investigated. CORRECTION A mistake appeared in an article in last week's paper on the Grand Bend Chamber of Commerce meeting. It should have read that the chamber ordered 15,000 coloured brochures at a cost of x3,850. Bend Public school to enjoy school. Answers to other questions went as follows: 71 percent favoured a half day kindergarten. 79 percent did not strongly oppose split grades (more than one class per room.) 74 percent did not favour busing to avoid split grades and increase enrolment at other schools. 79 percent would rather, children walk to school (not bused). 91 percent felt that the close availability of school to home and/or food and lodg- ing during winter storms is important. A group of 12 people met last week to discuss the sur- vey results, and plan action for a meeting of the school district study committee Thursday. Cam Anderson agreed to act as chairman for the presentation at the meeting. The group is collec- ting information on the im- pact of the school from area clubs. such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Lions and Lioness c ubs, a Final Week of Still a good selection of Ladies and Mens Sweaters Store Closes Saturday Jnnuary 31. 1 b Main St. c sit FACTORY OUTLET GRAND BEND 238-8007 4, BEING GOOD -- Lorna Miller, 3, kept busy while her mother, Sharon, attended a Womens Institute meeting in the United Church basement. Staff photo Times -Advocate, January 25, 19.1 Page 25 OMB goes with compromise, two year study on Port Franks Port Franks residents were granted a two year reprieve, when Ontario Municipal Board chairman W.H.J. Thompson gave his decisions on the recent hearings Wednesday. In the decision, read by Peter Wilkes of the OMB, Thompson and Wilkes said that the board would stick with the "compromise" decision made between the township and the Port Franks property owners in September. The compromise called for a further two year study of the area by Lamb - ton county planner Bill Hollo. The hearings, which ran for a week in September, and then were adjourned until earlier this month, were on the controversial zoning bylaw. The bylaw zoned much of Port Franks as environmental protection and put thearea in a flood plain. Residents claimed that the zoning restricted development, and caused property value to drop. Bosanquet township clerk Robert McCordic said that the two year compromise will allow permitted use, but not any further develop- ment. He said that it may benefit those with mortgages coming due, but it wouldn't help those in the construction business who complained about the zoning restrictions. McCordic said that the builders were suing the zoning as an excuse for bad business. He said that people in the rural areas are moving to the cities because they can't afford to commute any longer, and because of that there is a slump in building. A request from George Pembleton to establish a wrecking yard on the county road between Forest and Arkona was turned down by the board. Pembleton was refused after he had told the board that the wrecking operation would complement his garage business in Forest, and the board learned that his garage was up for sale. Stan Kwarciak was un- successful in his attempt to have land zoned residential changed to accommodate an expansion of his farm produce packing operation. The board said that because of the other homes in the area, the residential zoning was sound planning. The board approved of a home for residents requiring special care operated by Ruth Johnson. Mrs. Johnson lives in the south side of the Ausable River cut. Because Mrs. Johnson already had residents in her home before the zoning bylaw was put into effect, the board decided to allow her to continue. The board upheld the bylaw which stated that no new building could take place on property which did not have frontage on high- ways, roads or streets pubi cly maintained. This will effect property owners on the north side of the mouth of the Ausable River cut. Because the property is adjacent to the Pinery Provincial Park, the lots are only accessible by boat. Property owners in private subdivisions will also be affected. At the conclusion of the decisions, the OMB said that townshipwould reimburse the board half the cost of the proceedings. Bosanquet clerk Robert McCordic said that he was "not too con- cerned" about the order, adding that he understood the township was only to pay half the cost of the reporter who was hired to record the proceedings. GLIDDEN sP TIN Conklin's Usual Price $18.99 DECOR&TIVE •New surface for walls or ceilings. •Imaginative effects produced with utensils found around the house. *Simple do-it-yourself guide right on the bag. SAVE $2.00 44 Ib. (20 kg) BAG Conklin's Usual Price 11.49 A EAIDYMAI DIBIRVEB SONE CREDIT FIR GOOA ONE SIDE PLYWOOD Not only is this plywood tax exempt, but we've decided to match the savings _s'id re- duce our prices by an addition- al 7%. B'a now—Sa\'' twice! 11 mm ,Approx Usual pricti 22.75 6 mm tApprox v.' price ;,195 t90 , 15 Usu ce 30.7', PINB SHUTTERS Width in Inches Height m Inches 6" 7" 8" 9" 10„ 12„ 16" 2 269 309 545 589 459 20" 289 535 385 429 485 565 24" 345 399 459 519 579 695 28" 399 469 539 4 599 669 8x9 32" 459 539 619 695 769 929 36„ 519 599 695 , I 865 1 �5, WHITE BATHROOM TOILET Not exactly as shown. (Toilet seat not included) Usual Price 84.95 tIIII1111111111CII DRYWALL COMPOUND Ready to use for that professional finish. Asbestos free. Our usual price 3.79 DRYWALL 3/8 INCH 4'x8'Sheet PerffA-Tape 4r"- c.�s A Clint 16 stores to serve you Prices are in effect until Jan. 31, 1981 WINDSOR EAST 7276001 WINDSOR WEST 7341221 WINDSOR CENTRE 2541143 Store hours: Mon.-Thurs. 8 am to 6 pm Fri. till 9 pm 8 Sat. till 5:30 pm OWEN SOUND 376-3181 GODERICH 5248321 AMHERSTBURG 7362151 HARROW 7382221 KINGSVILLE 7332341 Store hours: Mon. -Fri. 8 am to 5:30 pm & Sat. 1i11 4 pm EXETER 2351422 THEDFORD 296-4991 GRAND BEND 2382374 WEST LORNE 768-1520 SOUTHAMPTON 7973245 RIDGETOWN 674.5465 Store hours: Mon. -Fri. 5 am to 5:30 pm & Sat. till 1:00 pm KINCARDINE 3963403 Store hours: Dally Including Sat. 8-5:30 pm KITCHENER.. 8937901 Kitchener Out -of town 1-800-265 8204 Store hours: Daily including Sat. 8 am to 5:30 pm Open Fri. till pm MANY MORE IN-STORE WHITE SALE SPECIALS 1