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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-04-08, Page 2Page 2 Times -Advocate, Apri1.8, 1998 IN THE NEWLS Regional wrap up Super lottery winners tired of attention PARKHILL After celebrat- ing their $22.5 million win last week, Kris and Bernie Nauss are trying to avoid an onslaught of media attention since it was. dis- covcred.thc couple is up on mar- ijuana, gun and theft charges. The London Free Press reports when the . home was raided in February 1997. $125;000 worth of marijuana was discovered along with a stolen gun, two mo- torcycles and a truck trailer. The couple did not return a call by the T -A last week. High school remains open SEAFOR'I•H Seaforth Dis- trict High -School will remain open for thc time being. According to the Clinton News -Record, a day before the school's fate was to be decided, local trustees withdrew thcir_rec- ommendation to close it. Due to financial shortages in thc provincial government's ncw - education ' funding model, the site review committee called off its earlier recommendation to. convert the ,school into a new .board office. . In thc meantime, other poten- tial locations will be considered. Two charged in drug bust MORRIS TOWNSHIP - A marijuana crop seized by Huron Canty OPP officers on March 26 would have had an estimated street value of $100,090 if it had grown to maturity. The' North Huron Citizen re- ports Adrian Mark Dicastri, 28. and Dawn Margaret Allison, 25, have been .charged with produc- tion of a controlled substance. They will appear in Wingham court May 7.. Following tips; officers ar- rived at the site at Lot 5, Con. 2 'to discover hydroponic growing equipment as well as plants. Brussels may lose team BRUSSELS - Once again, the future of Junior C hockey in Brussels is up in the air. According to the North Huron Citizen, the executive of the Brussels Bulls faces seridus fi- nancial challenges and is asking the public for help before 'mak- ing any moves. The executive was to host a public meeting last Thursday. Club President Wayne Todd told the Citizen the executive has been approached by two towns prepared to make an offer for the team. Junior C hockey is typically expensive to run and although the Bulls has kept its budget to half of that of many teams, the club ran into a deficit two years ago. Last year Brussels lost two other hockey teams. Citizens honored for aiding police GODERICH - Six area citi- zens were recently honored for helping police rescue a stabbing victim, nab a drug dealer, catch a youth with a knife and aid an impaired driver. The Goderich Signal -Star re- ports the five Goderich residents and one London man were pre- sented with certificates at a Po- lice Service Board meeting March 27. • Seaforth District High School will remain open for -now The school board will not rush into selling the Stratford headquarters STRATFORD - Seaforth District High School is out of danger of closing for now.. - The Avon -Maitland District School Board agreed to with- draw a motion to close the school and move the board of- fices into the building last Tuesday.. in Stratford. ' Eleven delegations'made presentations to the board urg- ing trustees not to close the school. An' impassioned student, Mayor Dave Scott, a member of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture, a Seaforth businessman and Huron MPP Helen Johns spoke to trustees about keeping their school open. However, the site review committee said the decision to withdraw the motion to close had more to do with questions about provincial funding than the protest from Seaforth res idents. ' MPP Johns defended her government's education fund- ing formula. "I'm hearing the hoard can't -Woo • run the schools. That just isn't correct." said Johns. She presented figures from the Min - ; .Education and Training showing the hoard's It will increase three per cent over three years. front $120 million in 1997 to $124 million in the 1908/99 school ycar and hack to $122 million by the 2000/0I school year. "1 always said we would get a little moire money in Huron County and here it is -=a little more money." she said. Although money designated for classroom use cannotbe diverted. Johns, said non -classroom funding can be re- allocated to other areas. So, she explained, the board could use funding from another area to cover operational costs of schools. But the hoard's per pupil accommodation grant is down, 'said superintendent Janet Baird Jackson. The grant is used for repairs on some of the board's aging schools. "We may he able to afford to run the schools but they'll go to rack and ruin around our ears," she said. A motion to establish committees to study all schools with low enrolments or needing building repairs was de- ferred until the April 14 meeting. If approved, the corm - minces would consider closing those schools. or.. finding new uses for them. Johnsmaintains school closures should not even be con- sidered by trustees. • . . Board won't rush into sale of Stratford. headquarters A' oil Maitland District :School Board trustees are facing Wilk! of the -biggest and most challenging decisions they've ever had to deal with ... and they arcn't about to start mak- ing them at 10:55 p.m. After hearing about two hours of delegations from people opposed to closing Seaforth District High.Schcol, and vot- ing to withdraw a plan to close the schoxol. trustees set out to plow through the resf of their agenda last Tuesday night just a few minutes before 1:1 p.m.. The next big decision. put forth by the site,revicw com- mittee, was deciding on whether or not the board should sell its Water Street headquarters in Stratford; •Trustee Bob Allen objected "strenuously" to "that kind of recommendation set on my desk tonight," he said. "I'm not prepared to address a matter as important as this when I don't even have the courtesy of getting the damn re- port until I walk into the building tonight," he added. Trustee Atje Tuyten said trustees can't make such an im- portant decision without more discussion. They need more information, said Trustee Ray Ford. The Water Street building "works reasonably well," Ford noted. Before selling it and spending money to renovate a new building, trustees need some inform, in on savings and al- ternatives, he said. Trustees deferred the motion to the board's April 14 meeting in Clinton. - Chair receives threatening phone call Unfortunately, not everyone .has been willing to have their say on the issue of closing Seaforth District High School through public debate. . • Avon Maitland District School Board chairperson Ahhy Armstrong received a phone call threatening herself and her children if she votes to close the school. • At the hoard's regular meeting held last Tuesday, March 31 in Stratford, she told trustees and a crowd of about 200 people that any further calls will be turned over to the po- lice. • Residents voice concerns to council +'Continued from front page and was able to provide further in- sight. • - "Through our actions, we're not trying to put anyone at risk. There's a landfill site we have to deal • with," Trichncr explained. Council admitted they could do more to inform residents of thc landfill site development and will do so in the future. - Trichncr said thc site is continual- ly monitored to meet provincial regulations and ensured the gallery no leachate was contaminating the groundwa.ler. Councillor 'George Robertson .-said the county has the ability to pass a bylaw to take over the man-. - agement of Exeter's landfill site. , "That's why we want property values guaranteed," he explained. Council assured - the .residents . their concerns will be addressed by the county and the town. Should Zurich's . area be licensed? ZURICH - Many questions are yet to he answered in the rRcc Board's investigation into liquor li- censing the village arena. On Wednesday night the Zurich Recreation Parks and Community Centre Board board considered li- censing details. Prior to licensing, the site must he approved by liquor license and building inspectors as .well as fire and health departments. New Arena Manager Kevin de- offrey suggested it may becostly to • make necessary changes to thc building. Thc hoard discussed wheelchair accessibility and wheth- er to licchsc thc entire building or just the hall. "Do the ground work now and get it over with...A building in- spector will tell you exactly what we have to do," suggested Chair- man Ken Seyler. "We're not going to do any more than we have to." Board members agreed it is dif- ficult to control alcohol use in the dressing rooms, which may also he licensed. It was suggested anyone caught with their own beer should be banned from playing at the arc- na. Licensing the arcna may -bring extra revenue. A report given to council by Clerk Charlene Overholt a few months ago pointed out Monkton's arena profit shares with those who rent its facilities and has benefitted financially since it was licensed. "Theyfiave licensed their facility and have reported a large reduction in their deficit," statc the meeting minutes. "Hall rentals arc up 15 to 20 per cent since they licensed their facility." Downtown thefts EXETER - Two London women are charged in connection with shoplifting incidents at downtown Exeter stores on March 20. Paula Lavery, 24, and Rizan Bal- lut, 39, are charged with theft and possession of stolen property. Lav- ery is also charged with breach of probation. London OPP Const. Donna Shu - list called the incidents "diversion thefts," where one woman captures a clerk's attention while the other steals merchandise. An OPP officer spotted the pair on Main St. at about 3:45 p.m. on March 20. A search of the pair's vehicle revealed about $170 worth of items stolen from other stores. HTA announces agri-tourism partnership HENSALL - ;Tourism is second only to agriculture in economic -im- portance in Huron County so it's appropriate the two industries are forming a partnership. , Last week, the Huron Tourism Association announced a 1120,000 - initiative to help build agri-tourism • and the accommodation industry.. Project manager Cass Bayley was enthusiastic about - what Huron has to offer.. "We know,wehave a scn- ' rational product. Few agricultural areas have live -star restaurants, bed and breakfasts and a lakefront. Fcty tourism areas have agriculture," she explained, adding Huron County has both. "It all works together to he a package." Bayley said. . • ' Half thc funding came, from the CanAdapt' program with the Huron Federation of Agriculture. Inter • - national -Plowing Match committee, • Hcnsall Economic Development . Committee and the Huron Business - Centrc also contributing.' Bayley said thc funding will "build a foundation to jettison into thc future. Initiatives will include highway profile signage with the - slogan- "Ontario's logan"Ontario's West Coast", a national advertising and communications campaign and a ncw graphic Iden= tity for. Huron tourism and agri-. businesses. - Other important components arc specialized self -guided, routes through Huron: including the "Hu- ron Harvest Trail", "Great Country Cultural- Excursion", "Nature Calls", -and "Country Events." Cus- tomized group tour programs on eco -tourism and agri-tourism will promote Huron's top producers and environmental leaders. Tourism is Huron's second larg- est industry with direct -sales of $225 million and 2,000 direct jobs. "This new marketing initiative re- flects thc growing Canadian tour- ism trends to take shorter holidays and a new enthusiasm to visit rural areas," said Laura! Armstrong, the HTA vice-president. According -to. Armstrong; tour- ism will be the biggest industry in the world in 2001. _ "Why shouldn't Huron and thc rest of Ontario have a slice of the pie'.'" she asked. • Huron's proximity to Targe' ur- ban centers is a definite strength. "Our domestic travellers arc re- alining their dollar goes further in Canada. City people want .the countryside experience." said Armstrong. The HTA also un- veiled its ncw poster by Jill Dyer of Bayfield, which will, help create an identity for tourism in the county..:The graphic will be used in new highway signage, ad- vertising/promotional programs and the .1999 International Plow- ing Match as a unifying image for tourism and agri-husincss in Hu- ron County. Cass Bayley decribes the new Huron Tourism Associa-' tion poster. Lucan looking at cutting road work and summer students Councillors are taking a look at cutting out all major road work and not hiring -any summer students this ,year during preliminary budget talks By Craig Bradford T -A Reporter LUCAN Provincial down- loading might slow road work to a standstill and stifle summer work for students in Lucan if preliminary '98, budget recommendations arc approved. Lucan council. held a special meeting last week to hammer. out 'a draft. budget. Though no final de- cisions were made; council is con tetnplating not taking on any major road work or hiring any summer students this year. Those two recommendations were just some of village staff members' ideas presented at the meeting. While the cuts to thc roads bud- get were up for consideration; pub- lic works/ superintendent Doug Johnston said he isn't in favor of such a move. - "If you don't pay mc now, you'll pay me later," hc said • of sus- pcnding the road reconstruction program. Not all couhcillors viewed cutting ma or=road workout of this year's budget as the rigttt direction to go. "My own concern is that we're cutting out roads all together," Deputy Reeve Harry Wraith said. "I can't buy that. I'm def- initely against cutting roads." Wraith pointed out many long- time residents have paid much of their tax dollars for the ongoing road maintenance program. He said it isn't fair for council to stop the program now in favor of a quick fix in this year's budget. Reeve Robert Benner agreed. "This doesn't address a perma- nent solution," Benner said on cutting all road work this year. He added council has two main things to decide: how much of a tax hike residents can bare and how they'll change how the village docs business to deal with provincial downloading. Councillor Perry Caskanctte countered a short term solution may not he a bad idea with a pos- sible merger with Biddulph Town - "Y would run o on s ship or other nearby municipalities in the cards in future years. "Maybe the roads can take•a year" of neglect and next year we can re- . t7ocus on it," he said. Councillor Glenn Silver said he would accept a short term solution if the province throws some grant money 'Lucan's way in one of its downloading transition programs. Silver then threw the idea of selling thc farm next to the sewage treat- ment plant on the 'table. On paper the 66 -acre farm is worth $215,000, but about 5300.000 may be' the fi- nal selling price. Silver said profits from selling the farm could he used. to prop up other departments. boost reserves or used to fund road pro- jects like reconstructing Beech St. Wraith said he was against sell- ing the farm and that the village is already profiting from owning it by renting it out. "You guys would have to run over the on selling;" he said. Though hc pointed out a larger merged municipality would assume ownership of the farm thereby less- ening Lucan's potential windfall. Benner said council must focus on the future. "I have some trouble with the short 'term approach," he repeated. "I think we need to look for a longer term solution." Treasurer Ruth Frost will report back to council with budget scenarios including selling the farm. • Benner said any future staffing cuts may come in the form of attri- tion with existing employees filling in for any retirements. In all, staff found 5163,229 in cuts after council asked them to come up with two budget sce- narios: a cut of 560,000 from '97 and acut of $100,000. Over $11,500 savings was found in administration including this be- ing a non -election year (55,000 was budgeted for last year's election, only 53,082 was spent), less spent on a next year's audit, no equip- ment purchases and less spent on building maintenance. Cutting out road construction would save $86,500 in '98. Thc village usually hires two stu- dents full-time from about mid- ou guys have to ver me elling." April to September. and sometimes hires two more students for part- time work. Administrator 'Ron Reymer said the students usually cut grass. water the -village's flower pots and fill in for regular staff on vacation. He said Lucan spent about 57,600 of a total 511,000 spent on summer students last year. thc rest coming from provincial grant programs. The province has cut its Klock funding grant which accounted for 5156,675 of village revenue last year._ Thc province has also cut most of its other grant programs marking •the main reason why Lu - can's total '98 rev- enues are forecasted at $375.096 com- pared with 5793.576 in '97. Lucan did• receive Borne good. or at least better, news from the province when it comes to policing costs and the Community Reinvestment Sub- sidy grant. The village will now have to pay $139.000 for policing in '98, down from $236,514. Thc province also upped Lucan's share of the Community Reinvestment Subsidy from $1,000 to $87,000. The village will also get 511.000 from the province in. -its Special Transition Assistance Subsidy. The new numbers released by the province last week still mean Lu - can is on the hook for $243,000 of Middlesex County's increased costs, according to county ad- ministrator Nigel Bellchamber. What do all these numbers mean when it comes to Lucanites' tax bills? Reymer said that if the prov- ince's numbers remain the way they are, Lucan would have to raise taxes by 5214 per average house- hold assessed at $1,700 to maintain services at last. year's level. The numbers do not include the transi- tion grants from the province. Council was expected to talk fur- ther about the budget at last night's regular meeting. Council tradi- tionally approves a finalized budget at its first meeting in June. Other notes from Lucan council: Honest mistake Lucan was inadvertently snubbed when West Nissouri Township in- vited Biddulph Township to a meeting. to talk about a possible "I do perm talk to about a merger. Both Benner and Reymer contacted West Nissouri officials to find out why Lucan didn't get an invitation and both were told they . had simply forgotten that Lucan is surrounded by Biddulph. Benner pointed out that despite the geography. Biddulph doesn't need Lucan's approval to merge - with any other municipality. Just an idea Benner chastised the rest of coun- cil at the beginning of the budget Meeting about negative feedback he was getting from them for dis- cussing his idea of the village and Biddulph sharing staff to cut costs with Biddulph Reeve Earl French. "I don't need per- mission to talk to anyone about an idea," he told them, adding the reeve isn't simply a "puppet" of council and reminding them it was Reymer who had originally brought up the idea. - "We do not come to the table with one mind," Benner continued. "We leave the table with one mind." He said he wants to continue his more "business like and open" ap- proach. "I don't believe the old ways will lead us to the solutions we need," he said. It was worth a shot Council staged a special emer- gency council meeting on March 24 to discuss whether they should approach Exeter's Suntastic Hot- house on relocating in Lucan. Council was prompted by a Lon- don Free Press Business Monday Magazine front page story that highlighted the problems the busi- ness had been having securing more water from Exeter. Reymer •said he contacted Sun- tastic officials on whether they would like to. meet with the village. Reymer said they told him• they wouldn't be contemplating moving or any other drastic change in op- erations for two years. Benner said the village should draft a promotional package in- cluding what it has to . offer busi- nesses/industries looking to re- locate. Reymer said he'll. add the project to his summer to-do list. n't need fission to anyone n idea."