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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1984-12-05, Page 30Page 1Bl* Times -Advocate, December 5,;)984 Si board seeks :3.s million in The Huron -Perth Roman Catholic Separate Schopl Board isn't holding its breath waiting for capital funding from the ministry of educaiion. The board recently approv- ed a capital forecast which in- dicates they would like to get more than $2.5 million from the ministry in the next five years. However, superintendent of business and finance Jack Lane said some of the re- quests in the 1985 forecast hai►e been on the list for 10 years. The only capital project that will 1* carried out next year, even if there is no ministry funding, is the pur- chase of less than an acre (.67) of land in Seaforth. The land is now owned by the Lon- don diocese and the former convent is one of the buildings on the land. The land is adjacent to St. James Separate School and is expected to be used for play- ing fields and playground areas. The playground now used is about one block away from the school. "We need it," Lane said of the land. While other capital funding is questionable, Mr. Lane says there is a chance funding to replace two 1978 board owned buses may be approv- ed. Under ministry policy, school buses must be at least seven years old and traveled 140,000 km. to be approved for replacement funding. The total estimated cost for the two buses is $57,500. During the next two years, the board hopes to receive money to make repairs to the roofs of 14 separate schools in the two counties. Again, according to policy, the chances of ministry fun- ding depends on the roofs be- ing at least 20 years old. These roofs involved are at least that age and Mr. Lane said they have been on the forecast for the past three years. Lane said the hoard can't meet the kind of costs that would be involved to fix the BRIAN'S SERVICE CENTRE Repairs to cars, trucks, chainsaws, snowmobiles and motorcycles Pioneer & Husqvarna Chainsaw Sales & Service BRIAN KIPFER Dirashwood, Ont. Phone 237-3322 Daily Rentals Example Chevy Celebrity, air conditioned Only 24.95 per day ch.r. ok . exeter 235-0660 Bad Rad`? Radiators Repaired, Recored or New Canadian Tire 235-0160 roofs. He said he doesn't know what would happen if the roofs started to leak. - Other projects included on the forecast list are possibly building a Catholic school in Listowel, renovations and ad- ditions at St. Boniface in Zurich in 1987 and St. Patrick's in Dublin in 1989 as well as renovations to St. Joseph's in Stratford in 1989. Lane said the board has been considering putting a Catholic school in Listowel for 10 years.. Although the pro- posal submitted to the ministry involves spending YOUNGEST IN PARADE — The youngest participant in Saturday's Santa Claus parade was Lindsay Lewis in her baby carriage. With her are Becky Seldon and Tena Brand. T -A photo s. EPS CHEERLEADERS -- Leading the Exeter Public School float in Saturday's Santa Claus parade were cheerleaders Mondi Fields, Camie Rees, Linda Eisenschink, Kathy McDonald, Cindy Moore and Darlene Triebner. THE DWARFS WERE HERE Participating in Saturday's Santa Claus parade as the Seven Dwarfs was the Dykeman family. T -A photo Hydro critics claim the public is left out Ontario f lydro says a series of information sessions in the Southwestern Ontario com- munities facing the prospect of a major transmission line nearby. will help the public learn about and react to the project. But al least two opponents TOWNSHIP OF STEPHEN FUEL TENDER Sealed tenders clearly marked as to contents will be accepted by the undersigned until 5:00 p.m. Monday December 3, 1984 for the following: Furnace Fuel - approximately 25,000 litres per year four locations Diesel Fuel - approximately 50,000 litres per year one location Gasoline(Regular) - approximately 10,000 litres one location Gasoline (Unleaded) - approximately 10,000 litres per year one location. All discounts to be firm for o two year period from January 1st, 1985 to December 31st, 1986. Tender forms are available at the Township Office or Work Shed. Crediton. Lowest or any tender not necessarily accepted. For further information contact: Eric Finkbeiner Rood Superintendent P.O. Box 100 CREDiTON, Ontario NOM 'IMO 234-6461 of the plan say that's not enough Public working groups are being dropped from the planning process for the lines, and the public's par- ticipation has been severely restricted. they say. Elbert van Donkersgoed, a Drayton area farmer and ex- ecutive director of the Chris- tian Farmers' Federation of Ontario, said Wednesday that Hydro -s current policy of seeking public reaction to assist it in planning for a 500.000 -volt system of lines from the Bruce Nuclear Power Development to the London won't be "anywhere near" as good as having working groups intimately in- volved in planning. Van Donkersgoed, a member of the group formed recently by ifydro to review the utility's planning for the eventual power line route. said the review process only amounts to "information - sharing" and is a "beefed-up version" of the information sessions Tony McQuail, a I,ucknow area farmer and chairman of the independently -organized F'oodland ilydro Committee. which comprises farm groups in about six Southwestern On- tario counties, said farmers have been denied active par- ticipation in helping Hydro plan for the line. "Hydro has shortened the time frame it needs to plan the routes and appears to have done away with the joint development process," said McQuail, who also is on the planning review committee, which held its first meeting in London over the weekend. Ivan Lloyd, corporate rela- tions officer for Ilydro's London-based western region, confirmed that the former public working group process has been largely eliminated, but said Hydro actually has intensified its public information- sharing program. For van Donkersgoed, in- formation sessions are "nothing but information - sharing. There is no joint planning, no public participa- tion in the sense of citizens sharing in making the deci- sions that are being made." "i'm not sure what con- tribution I'm supposed to be making," added McQuail, "or for that matter, whether Hydro even wants me to con- tribute. 1 get the feeling they just want me to react. that's all. No input, just react". But Lloyd said the "general public's input will be made mainly through feedback - from their representatives or at information sessions as the study progresses. Hydro began in August to update its environmental data on six possible system plans to carry power from Bruce to the London area by the end of the decade, including a direct Bruce -to -London link through Huron County. That plan was capltal about 175,000 for land and $850,000 to build the school, the board hasn't even looked seriously at any land in the town. "The location is anybody's guess," said Lane. Plans at St. Boniface in- volve adding two classrooms, a library, change rooms, health and guidance areas as well as renovations to the cur- rent administrative area. The estimated cosi for this is $432,400. Improvements to St. Patrick's school are similar to that of the Zurich school as well as repairs to mechanical and heating systems. For St. Joseph's in Strat- ford, the board would like to -.spend *100,000 for repairs to outside brick and to redesign the walls and replace the roof. The board currently has ad- ditions and renovations underway at its schools in Ex- eter, Clinton and Wingham. These are being done through Canada Works and Canada - Ontario Employment Development funding. Fitness fare is wrapped up Fitness Fare has been a project that has shown the relationship between food, fitness and ourselves. Sound eating habits and regular ac- tivity keep the body at a weight that is desirable and improves our stamina and flexibility. The members learned why fad diets don't work. The evenings took on a dif- ferent format from the usual skits, demonstrations and ex- hibits. There were two speakers and a film that even- ing with the topic being "Anorexia Nervosa". Anorexia Nervosa is the label for a state of emaciation that is the result of self - starvation. It is largely a psychological problem whose obsession with "thinness" and the effect of starvation brings on physiological problems. It is a problem that seems to be becoming very commonplace with today's youth - especial- ly ages 10 - 30 and especially females. Two speakers for the even- ing were Cathy Thomson, Huron County Public Health Nutritionist, and Marilyn Chedu, Dietician, John Noble Home, Brantford. Attendance was excellent at both Achievement Pro- grams. One was held in Brussels on Wednesday, November 28 and one at Var- na on December 3. It was great to see ho much family involvement. rejected two years ago by a provincial hearing board. The upeating became necessary after an Ontario divisional court ruling this summer overturned the board's choice of a two- pronged route - from Bruce to the Barrie area, and from London along Highway 401 toward Milton. Lloyd said that in addition to holding information ses- sions across the region. Hydro also has met with municipal councils and county planners in Ilydro's six -county study area for the line. Those meetings, the monthly ses- sions by the review group and the information sessions are designed to keep Hydro abreast of "what the public is thinking, how they're reac- ting eadting to the direction we're moving." "What we're looking for from the public is to get them up to speed on what we've looked at and also for them to identify anything we've missed." Hydro will hold public infor- mation sessions after deter- mining which corridors are practical for the line, likely in February. and narrowing these down to actual route possibilities, likely in May. A fourth session will be held with affected property owners over whose land the line will travel. A SPORTING FLOAT — Sports for all ages was depicted on the Canadian Tire float in Saturday's Santa Claus parade. Above, manager Gerry Walker puts some finishing touches to the large float. T -A photo A CARING FLOAT — The Exeter Beavers exhibited their motto on their float in Saturday's Santa Claus parade. • The question of an automatic checkoff has been part of the union movement for years. You work for a company but you do not belong to the union. Perhaps you do not believe in the union move- ment. Some people have taken their fight right to the Supreme Court of Canada. The courts have usually -- not always -- come down on the side of the union. "You get all the benefits that a union brings; you therefore should contribute to that union whether you belong to it or not." in Ontario, the Davis government brought in PICK OFFICIALS Hugh Baird. RR 2 Parkhill, and Gerald Reycraft, Glen- coe, have been elected chair- man and vice-chairman respectively for the December 1984 to November 1985 term of Middlesex Coun- ty hoard of education. The election took place at the regular Board meeting of November 19. Trustees Delmar Cobban, Irene Lynn. Betty Poole, and Carol Small were also nominated for chairman; however, all but Mrs. Small declined to stand for election. A ten-year veteran member of the board, Baird served as vice-chairman in 1978 and chairman in 1979. Trustees Robert Benner. Jack Lorimer, Evelyrf McClary, Betty Poole, Gerald Reycraft, and Carol Small were nominated for vice- chairman, and all except Reycraft declined to stand. The new vice-chairman was first elected to the board in 1982. VILLAGE OF AILSA CRAIG TENDER Tenders for the collection and disposal of garbage for the Village of Ailsa Craig will be received until 12:00 noon December 14th, 1984. Lowest or any tender not necessarily accepted. Envelopes to be clearly mark- ed "Tender for Garbage Collection and Disposal". Joyce D. Coursey, A.M.C.T. Clerk -Treasurer, Village of Ailsa Craig, P.O. Box 29, Ailsa Craig, Ontario. NOM 1A0 ne foot in the lurrow'.,03.� legislation to that effect about five or six years ago. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture is fighting a bat- tle right now that is similar. It is the largest farm organization in the province. Its biggest chore is lobbying for changes to help farmers: all farmers, not just members of OFA. Membership in the OFA has been voluntary since the early 1970s when Gordon Hill became president and took the moribund organization from a loose federation to an active and vocal force for farmers in Ontario. He in- stituted an individual service membership (iSM) cam- paign. Nowadays, when the federation says it speaks for 25,000 farmers, it is doing just that. But the membership fee has steadily increased. 1t is now $75 a year for automatic renewal,$80 for those who re- join. Membership has been dropping from a high two years ago of more than 26,000 to 24,603. "i was an ISM salesman, a fieldman for the federation," said a quiet, bearded gentleman at the annual meeting of the OVA in Toron- to last month. "1t is most discouraging and a waste of time to spend a whole day and a tank of gas and come home r let ,s aye app'ec.aied by Boo Lome, ['dale Ad flm„a On, N3B'C7 with one new member in your pocket. We could have been spending our time in a better way.'' He is, obviously, one member who advocates an automatic checkoff. the federation has wrestled with resolutions for two years. This year, the vote was 199 to 180 against a checkoff, a much narrower margin than a year age. Although defeated again. delegates decided to leave the item on the agenda for next year's convention. Like most voluntary organizations. the federation is chronically short of funds. About 40 per cent of the farmers in Ontario do not belong to the federation. vet they share in the lobbying results. Several methods for a checkoff were suggested. All included a clause which would allow farmers to ask for it refund of the checkoff if they did not want to belong to the federation. it seems to me that my bearded friend was right. To -have a field staff going up and down concession roads six months of the year can he a waste of time and money. "('II tell you the reason our membership is falling," said another delegate. "it's not a lack of interest in OFA. 11 comes right down to the back pocket. A lot of farmers out there just simply have not got the $75 or $80 in their wallets." Part of the case against a checkoff was also expressed: "There may bean advantage in being hungry and lean and mean rather than an organization with a fat budget... But with tough limes on the farm these days -- and no pro- spects for a brighter picture -- the OFA could get too hungry and too lean to be mean. The automatic checkoff could give the organization the financial strength so necessary to carry on its fight for farmers. Budget Rent A Car Low daily and weekly rates Special weekend rate Friday 6 p.m. to Monday 10 a.m. $59.95 including 200 free km's. Hensoll Motors Ltd. 262-3331 The Exeter Times -Advocate now carries a full line of Art Supplies * Acrylic and oil paints * Acrylic and oil brushes * Tempera powder * Artist pads * Tracing paper and tracing rolls * Calligraphy supplies * Turpentine, * Damar varnish and spray varnish * Acrylic medium and spray Come in and see what we have We can special order more stock Imes -dvocate "- r.r U. ae, 424 Main St. PH: 235-1331