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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-01-28, Page 10Page 1Q Times -Advocate, January 28, 1998 fOMMUNITY Avon -Maitland Board slashes $2.4 million from budget By Michele Greene Special to the Times -Advocate -STRATFORD The Avon - Maitland District School Board chopped $2.4 million out of its bud- get for Perth and Huron County schools and will ask the Ministry of Education for relief from its pro- jected $6.2 million shortfall. At a special board meeting in Stratford Thursday night.. Paul Car- roll, director of education, told Trus tees that he and four other members of the administration will meet with representatives from the Ministry of Education and Training . today (Wednesday. Jan. 28). They will ask for funding through a special, one time transition assistance fund and a special "undue burden" grant. • The province's short year funding is intended to support hoards over the next eight months during their transitional period after amalgama-_ tion. Marilyn Marklevitz, super- .. intendent of business and finance, said the funding is also supposed td be stahlc so hoards can . operate as they did in 1997. . "The ministry did promise stable funding and this isn't stable," she said. The $71.8 million funding from the province to the Avon -Maitland hoard left it with a projected $6.2 million shortfall. After calculating staffing requirements and transfers of tuition fees. administration brought that figure down to $4.2 million, said Marklevitz. Trustees cut $2.4 million out of the budget on Thursday night, re- ducing capital expenses -as well as maintenance and operating costs, leaving the board with' a $ I.8 mil- lion shortfall. Carroll told trustees that the for- mer Perth County Board of Educa- tion's spending of $2 million to bring the computer availability to students up to ministry standards and its rate of spending resulted in the shortfall. He took criticism for these com- ments and ones made to the press before the meeting. Brenda Schultz, chairperson of the localeducation improvement commission and former vice -chair of the. Perth board, said the board was frugal and spent money up- grading outdated science and com-. purer. labs. She said it doesn't de- serve all of the blame. Schultz.called • Carroll's com- ments "diisive." During his report to trustees, Car- roll said he didn't describe the prob- lem as being a result of mis- management. "That is not a word 1 would use t� describe this problem. it is not overspending. It is the rate of spending," he said. Stop ginger -pointing Later in the meeting, Chairperson Abby Armstrong urged trustees to stop finger -pointing, reminding them the intention of the meeting is finding a solution, not .blame, to the shortfall. "I believe the ministry has made a mistake. i believe they ought to have the opportunity'uo correct it. If. they fail to, we should shake the tree on the political side." said Trustee Bob Allan. agreeing with the plan to have the administrators try to solve the problem before talk- ing to the members of provincial. parliament. Marklevitz explained to trustees how the board ended up with a shortfall, She said school hoards received 62 per cent of their 1997 budget to cover expenses from Jan. 1 to Aug. 31, 1998.- , However, the former Perth board spent 65 per cent of 'its' budget by Aug. 31. 1997. The three per cent difference contributed $2 million to the shortfall. ' "Spending in Perth is front-end loaded. Given the benefit of a full year, it would all wash out," she said. Brenda Schultz said during her presentation that capital work is usually done during the summer, pushing up spending during the first eight months of the year. New director at Huron Country Playhouse GRAND BEND - The Huron Country Playhouse has announced that Chris Dorscht stepped into the. position of director of public relations Jana 19.. Dorscht replaced past director Sheila Dougall. Dorscht's voice might sound familiar to regular patrons of the Playhouse for his announcements of the -Ford 1x1�i ••firer rrd loonie-draws that took place this -past sc:.., e. Ili. was acting as house manager at the time. Dorscht brings a great deal of,ex„perience- to this position at the Playhouse, as theatre ad- ministration is his career goal. Having:had a driving interest in theatre since his grade two classroom per- formances. Dorscht will .bring that same drive to his new position at the Playhouse. Dorscht attended the University of Windsor in the theatre program. While he said he is going to temporarily put his. schooling on hold, Dorscht eventually wants to fin- ish his university education but said he could not let down this great opportunity. He said he would like to thank Gloria Day. executive producer, and Brian • McKay. artistic director, forafowing him to pursue his goals in the theatrical arca. Through Dorscht's growing knowledge of,thc theatre and' through this position. be hopes to bring new ideas to the Play- house. r • • "I really want to get the young people niore inter- ested in the theatre because they are a part of the technological. age of movies and computers. i think the theatre community has to let them know what the theatre really has to offer," he said. Dorscht said he hopes to make the coming 1998 season one that 'patrons of Huron Country Play- house will never forget. Shipka residents attend beef producers meeting - By Annie Morenz Shipka corresponden? e SHIPKA Another euchre was held at Shipka Community Centre on January) 20 with nine tables, in play. Winners were: Ladies high - S,hirley Martine; Ladies Low - Doreen Lightfoot; Most lone hands - Mary Moser; Mens high - Ev Richardson; Mens low - Elliott Clarke: Mens lone hands - Jake Lagerwerf. The next euchre will be February 3, 7:30 p.m. at the Community Centre. PUBLIC MEETING CONCERNING A PROPOSED ZONING BY-LAW AMENDMENT . TOWNSHIP OF BIDDULPH TAKE NOTICE that the Council of the Township of Biddulph will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, February 17, 1998 at 8:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers located 33351 Richmond Street, .approximately one-quarter mile southeast of the Village of Lucan. The meeting is to, consider a proposed zoning by-law amendment under c.P13, Section 34 of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990. The Purpose of this Amendment is to incorporate new definitions and to amend or delete existing provisions in -the Township's comprehensive Zoning By-law (No. 100-97) adopted 20 February 1997, These changes are intended, for the most part, to provide additional clarification to the Zoning By-law and were identified during day-to-day use of the document. The changes: 1. amend the definition of "Lot Frontage" for the purposes of clarification. 2. amend the definition of "Front Lot Line" to clarify that a front Ibt line is deemed to be the line dividing a lot from the street, or the line dividing a lot from a reserve on the opposite side of which is located a street. 3.. incorporate a definition of "Reserve". 4. amend the definition of "Height" to delete the provisions related to measuring height based on the top of the opening of the main door in the ase of a private garage. being 'ultra vires' the Planning Act. 5. amend the "Minimum Setback" requirements in,all applicable zones to reflect the recent transfer of Highway No. 7_ (lying west of Highway • No. 4) to the jurisdiction -of -the County of Middlesex, and to reflect a change in the numbering of County Road No. 22 to Country Road No. 20. The revised setbacks are ,based on setbacks adopted by the County in its.Official Plan. - 6: delete the "Maximum Height" requirement, of 4.5 metres for an accessory building in the Farm Commercial (FC) Zone,. General Industrial (M1) zone, Farm Industrial (M2) zone, Extractive Industrial (M3) Zone and the Institutional (!) Zon'e. ANY PERSON may attend the public meeting and/or make a written or verbal representation either in support of, or in opposition to, the proposed Amendment. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION relating to the proposed Amendment is available during regular office hours at the Township Offices or from the Township Planner, Mr. Ted Halwa, at (519) 434-7321 (London, Ontario) '. DATED AT THE TOWNSHIP OF BIDDULPH THIS 6TH DAY OF MARCH 1996. L.G. Hotson Clerk -Treasurer Township of Biddulph P.O. Box 190 Lucan, Ont. NOM 2J0 Telephone: 227-4491 Annie Zielman attended the ?vjemorial service on January 13 for tl her son -in -taw Roger Ward's moth • - er. Irene Ward. held at Box and Son Funeral Home in Parkhill. • Sympathy is expressed to Gertic and Melvin Stade in the death this month of/ her brother. Nick Beisenthal. of Regina.' Saskatchewan. Several arca men attended the -beef producers dinner meeting at Brussels last Wednesday.. January 21. During its. calculations of the. shon year funding.. the province doesn't recognize the.over-levies in budgets of boards with a 1997 bud- get increase of more than two per cent, Marklevitz said.. The board's • $ 1.7. million over- ' levy was used in its operating bud- get. Its 4.3 per cent budget increase was, a result of funding cutbacks from the ,province, assessment growth and assessment equalization factor, she said. The province also would not rec- ognize S2 million the former Perth board took out of its reserves to purchase computers and pay for training last year s 4 HURON PARK FOOD TOWN Huron Industrial Park, Huron Park Values in effect Monday. Jan. 26 to Sunday, Feb. 1, 1998 at Huron Park Food Town Only! bin us for our 2nd /A/N/NIWEWS/A/RY S/A1L/E' LEAN GROUND BEEF 3.28 BONELESS OUTSIDE ROUND STEAK ROAST Cut from Canada A/AA/AAA Grades Beef Hip (eye 199 Ib, removed) 4.39 kg. Premium Quality, Product of the Tropics .64 kg. Bananas` Ib. Schneiders 450 g. pkg. Weiners Success 6 x 284 mL tins 89 Mushrooms 99 Rougemount, 1.36 Litre Tin Apple .89 Juice P.E.I. 20 Ib. Ba Product of P.E.I. �� Canada No. 12 Potatoes ea. Jubilee 24 roll pkg. Bathroom Tissue 99 Kurtz DeJli Sliced 3.28 kg. Cooked Ham 49 • Ib. 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