Times Advocate, 1999-07-07, Page 3%'ednesdat, July 7, 1999
Exeer Tinges -Advocate
3
In the News
John Patterson retires as
associate director of school board
By Michele Greene
SEAFORTH -- While the school year
has ended for thousands of students,
the career of one of their top educa-
tors has as well.
John Patterson, associate director of
the Avon Maitland District School
Board, retires at the end of this school..
year.
Last Tuesday. night in Seaforth,
trustees commented on the contribu-
tion he made to education in the past
and wished him well in the future.
"As a taxpayer, I must say I've ngver
got better value for my money. As a
"parent, I'm delighted with what you've
'done for the children," said Trustee
Ray Ford.
Several trustees commented on his
career including Trustee Atje Tuyten,
saying Patterson always made time to
explain issues or documents, to
trustees; and Chairperson Wendy
Anderson said he always put the.
needs of the system above his own.
"John is the epitome of professional-
ism, compassion and integrity. There
will be a gap that's difficult to fill," she
said.
His mark on education extends
beyond the Avon Maitland board.
"The mark you will leave on educa-
tion in this part of the province is
indelible. It will always be there," said
Terry 'Boucher, the London district
manager for the Ministry of Education.
and Training.
The accolades caught Patterson off
guard.
"This has been a tremendous experi-
ence, totally unexpected, totally hum-
bling and difficult to respond to," he
said.
As associate director, Patterson had
many responsibilities. But, he said
working with trustees was one he
enjoyed.
"I find it invigorating to work with
trustees," he said.
Patterson joined the former Perth
County Board of Education in 1970 as
a teacher of Downie Central Public
School, near St. Pauls, and was soon
appointed principal.In 1986 he was
appointed superintendent and held
that position until just a few years ago.
He was the director of education for
the former Perth board until amalga-
mation, when he then took on his cur-
rent position of associate director edu-
cation.
tees appying for more
By Michele Greene
SEAFORTH — The Avon
Maitland District School
Board is going to the
provincial government to
.get funding trustees feel
they deserve.
The Ministry of
Education and Training
allocated to the board a
$700,000 grant intended
for remote and •rural
boards. But, it quickly
took back the money
because the board's prox-
imity to London does not_;:
make it remote F°
"The grant is intended
to support boards that
have a high cost of deliv-
ery. We are not deemed
to have that burden. We
feel we are remote and, of
course, rural," said Lorne
Rachlis, director of educa-
tion.
Trustees will ask the
Ontario Public School
Boards Association to
lobby the. Ministry of
Education and Training
on its behalf.
The extra_ funding
would mean the
1999/2000 budget for the
Avon Maitland District
School Board wouldn't be
so tight, said superinten-
dent Janet Baird -Jackson.
Last Tuesday night in
Seaforth, trustees
approved the $127.5 mil-
lion budget, which
includes $126.7 million in
provincial grants and
$760,000 in additional
revenue from school cafe-
terias and school rentals.
.f.
There are no raises for
staff and no programs
will be expanded. No
money was put Into
reserves. . . .
Last year,the board had
to use all of its reserves to
pay retirement gratuities
to retiring teachers.
Some of.- the capjtsl
expenses included. in the
budget are: renovations to
Stratford Northwestern
Secondary School's tech-
nical department; fire
safety improvements at
Wingham's F.E. Madill
Secondary School; a
library resource centre at
Elma Public School; and
junior kindergarten reno-
vations at Howick Public
School.
POLICE BRIEFS p POLICE BRIEFS
STANLEY TWP. A 1990 Ford pickup stolen from a Grand Bend home on June
27 has been found oh Conc. 5 in Stanley Twp. Huron OPP said the vehicle was found
in a storage shed on July 1. The shed's owner, who had recently bought the proper-
ty, had attended the shed to look things over. When he opened the shed he found
the green truck. The vehicle was then checked and found to be stolen. The truck has
since been returned to its owner."r-
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Abandoned dog findsnew home
By. Katherine. Harding
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
ZURICH -- The South
Huron Veterinarian
Clinic received almost
40 calls to save an
abandoned dog last
week.
Last4Wednesday, the
Siberian Husky -German
shepherd cross was fea-
tured in a T -A story af-
ter he was found tied to
a tree in Stephen Twp.
and was slated to be
destroyed if his owner
was not found.
This week the young
pup has a new name
and lease on life after
he was adopted by an.
older,. couple from the
area. -;'s 1..rc,,,v.i.-44k,:t
Tammy Davidson, a
registered vet tech-
nician at the clinic; said,
while the names of: the
new owners can't be re-
leased, the dog is going
to a "great home."
The new owners are
former dog owners and
have called their new
dog Rover.
Davidson said while
the clinic has a policy to
destroy abandoned an-
imals if they are not
claimed within five
days, 90 per cent usual-
ly Bind hom
Last week this
abandoned dog
was adopted by an
old( r couple from.
the area. They
have named him
Rover.
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