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TIMES ADVOCATE
Exeter, Ontario, Canada
Wednesday, May 19, 1999
$1.00 (includes GST)
Community has say
on library proposal
By Craig Bradford
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
EXETER — Town coun-
cil was told to honour the
past .when it comes to
demolishing the existing
library and building a
new one from scratch.
Cduncil held a public
meeting on the proposed
new library at Olde Town
Hall last week to find out
what people thought
about the Library Re -
Development Committee's
plans.
The general consensus
waswas a larger library is
needed but most of .the
-about 20 people present
(not including councillors,
town staff and= library
consultants) wanted the
new building to maintain
some of the Carnegie
trai�ta Ie the front pillars
and entrance.
The 'existing library has
been identified as too
small for the community's
needs. There is inade-
quate book space, no
rooms for meetings or
programs and not enough
room for workor reading
areas. In addition, the
library 'is not handicap
Potowin
� g.
operation shut
dcn by cops
p
USBORNE TWP. -- An
estimated $100,000 mar-
ijuana growing operation
was taken down by a joint
forces police operation
between OPP and the
Stratford Police Service
on. May 14.
During the raid, plants
and equipment were
seized from a home on
Conc. 13 in Usborne Twp.
Charged . with numerous
offences are Londoners
Constance' McDougall, 33,
and Richard Mielke, 43.
accessible and is in a poor
state of repair.
A new Exeter library
has been on the back
burner since council
passed a motion to hold a
public meeting in June
'95. The project was res-
urrected when the Re -
Development Committee
held its first meeting on
March 9, 1998.
Since then, three focus
groups have met and, two
surveys have been done,
one soliciting input from
library users and another
from the public. The user
survey had 160 responses
and the public survey had
145 responses, amounts
Ontario Library Services
consultant Helene Golding
said were exceptionable
for a small community.
The most common
response.from people is
they couldn't Irl use the
library, especially seniors
and parents of small chil-
dren. Other common
complaintsincluded
requests for more materi-
als.
Committee members
have also visited several
other libraries in small
communities similar to
Exeter and have decided
Exeter needs a library
with about 5,000 sq. ft.
compared with the pre-
sent library's 2,400 sq. ft.
The committee's pre-
ferred option is to demol-
ish the current library
and build a new facility in
its place. Other options
include fixing the existing
library to bring it up to
code, renovating/expand-
ing the existing library
and renovating/expanding
the former Exeter police
station.
The demo/rebuild option
has been deemed the best
since it has the most rea-
sonable cost, maintains
See COUNCIL page 2
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KE VOTE
By Michele Greene
SEAFORTH Avon Maitland District School -Board's
elementary teachers would rather talk, not walk.
But, they'll walk out on strike if they have to. .
Last Tuesday night, 90 per cent of the 579 teachers
who voted, gave union negotiators a strike mapdate.
Following the vote, they marched in front of Seaforth
District High School, where trustees had a meeting
scheduled. They filled the gymnasium of the school as
the meeting began.
Phyllis Benedict, president, of the provincial organiza-
tion, said she remains optimistic that an agre ment will
be reached and a strike will not be necessiry. She is
hoping the strong message from her members willpush
the board to settle.
"Part of it is the financial situation. The board said it
couldn't come up with financial figures until June. That
just is not fair to these teachers," she. said.
"The limited information the boardsed with the
teachers' negotiators shows they have eno informa-
tion to settle the outstanding issues", said Benedict.
The teachers have been working without a contract
since August 31, 1998. Benedict said they are con-
cerned about working conditions, class sizes and retire-
ment gratuities.
'They are worried about not being able to perform to
the best of their- ability with larger class sizes," said
.Benedict.
tthoffireifetaprogram reducing the num-
ber
umber of teachers and replacing teacher librarians with
library technicians are the two program changes
opposed by the teachers.
The teachers and the board are expected to continue
negotiations today with a mediator.
There are just four boards in the province that have
not yet reached a contract agreement with their ele-
mentary teachers.
Violence rumours.
at SHDHS just that
EXETER — The day of
fun science games called
Science Quest '99 at South
Huron District High
School Thursday was
marred _ by rumours earli-
er in the week of a violent
act that was to take place
at the school that day.
One -school, Zurich's St.
Boniface School, decided
students • to
send to
Science Quest due to the
rumours.
SHDHS principal Deb
Homuth called in the
Exeter OPP to investigate
student complaints about
the rumoured violent inci-
dent. Some students were
interviewed by the OPP
but no substance to the
rumours was found.
"It was all just rumour
making and fear monger-
ing," Homuth said.
Homuth announced the
.OPP's Endings .to students
and staff Tuesday after-
noon and the school sent a
letter home with students
toe
situation to
the to
explain
parents.
The OPP were requested
by some elementary
school principals to be
present at the school
Thursday to ease any fear
students had.
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