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Times Advocate, 1995-01-25, Page 1EIP'S valu-mart 4 & 8 xeter 235- First All Occasion Cakes SEIP'S Valu -mart Air.1aPt' yPr 71‘1062 \ VV /ti Sou 'N �(5 i dwich stl�eeials ly r • SUBSCRIBE! ; II It you aren't subscribing to The 1 Times -Advocate, you're missing out. Use the coupon below and subscribe today! 1 Name: ' Address ' City 1 Prov Postal Code ' SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada ' Within 40 miles - (65 km) addressed to non letter carrier addresses $33.00 plus $2.31 G.S.T. Outside 40 miles - (65 km) or any letter ' carrier address $63.00 + $4.31 G.S.T. Outside Canada -$99.00 pnu see 40 po414.94) ' USE YOUR CREDIT CARD 1 1 ❑000000❑ , 1 0000000❑ Card No. 1 I Expiry Date ❑ Visa 0 Master Card ❑ Cheque enclosed Return to; TIMES ADVOCATE ' 424 Main St. Exeter, Ont. NOM 1S6� IMO O - EM— M 1 1 Inside Wednesday, January 25, 1995 (93C + 7C G.S.T.) ONE DOLLAR Amalgamation inevitable But will joining the Huron Board with Perth or another county really save millions? - some trustees aren't sure By Heather Vincent T -A staff EXETER - Plans for school board amalgamation are im- minent. However, until the royal commission comes down on Thursday, local trustees could not say when changes would begin or how they would be structured. Recent cost cutting measures of the Ontario school boards have included buying in bulk and sharing school -bus routes between separate and public schools. To an extent these money -saving efforts have been success- ful however, calls for radical cuts in the numbers of boards have yet to be addressed. Education Minister Dave Cooke is planning to forge ahead with amalgamating boards. The potential for savings he says are tremendous. But how do Huron County trustees feel about teaming up with another county? Bob Heywood, trustee for the Town- ship of Stephen, said that teaming up with Perth County would "be a natural." Hopefully geographical location and available facilities will play a role in choosing where a joint board would be centred. However, Heywood feels that "po- litical clout will start playing a part" in the decision making. Haywood said that Dave Cooke is definately going to go ahead' With plans for amalgamation or regionalization of school boards. Said Heywood, "that's all there is to it." Amalgamation will take place. At a conference in Toronto last weekend, Heywood said it was reported that only approximately 46 percent of the total staff complement are in the classroom. "That is un- acceptable," said Heywood, "I think something has to hap- pen." Heywood said that even if the board was centred in Strat- ford it would not make a big difference to trustees. "We have trustees that travel an hour already," said Heywood. Pauline Van Der Ley, trustee for the Town of Exeter also said that at the moment there is "lots of speculation but noth- ing concrete." Van Der Ley said that Huron prefers to main- tain a certain identity if teamed with another board. She said de- cisions will depend on how the po- litical winds are blowing. Van Der Ley thinks that this al- ternative will not make the dramat- ic changes expected. "I personally don't think it is going to save any- one that much money." Van Der Ley referred the drastic cuts by Al- berta government in the education system. The end result was a savings of only one day's education cost. The drop to $13 million per day from $14 million to fuel the system was not as substantial as expected. Van Der Ley said that there would probably be nominal trustee cut backs but dollars would be saved on amalgamating board facilities and retaining only one director. "I don't think it is going to save anyone that much money." Cardboard now worth cash A ton of cardboard boxes is no longer just garbage, HURON PARK - What a difference a year makes. When Exeter introduced its waste management plan in mid-1993, introducing tough new restrictions on cardboard at the land- fill site, finding ways to recycle the material proved costly and troublesome. Today, it is not only cost-effective, but may be even profitable to recycle cardboard. Bluewater Recycling Associa- tion announced that effective this month, it would be paying $65 a short ton (2000 lbs) of corrugat- ed cardboard. That contrasts sharply with the state of affairs 'up to last July when those bring- ing cardboard to the Association had to pay to drop it off. In July, the price paid by companies in the cardboard re- cycling business had risen to the point where Bluewater could waive the charge. Municipalities, like Exeter, still found it advantageous to collect and drop off cardboard because of the savings in ex- pensive landfill space. The $65 per ton now paid is likely to vary month to month, explained Bluewater manager Dave Wilson. "It's based on a market price we get on a monthly basis," said Wilson. "We'd like to receive more of that material." Businesses can also deal directly with Bluewater, and be paid for their cardboard, as long as it is in "large quantities" and the tonnage can be es- tablished with weigh tickets. Wilson said the market for used cardboard has "im- proved substantially for that material" in the past few months, and Bluewater now deals with three or four buyers competing for the material to recycle it into new cardboard or other paper products. "Primarily it would go into new corrugated material," said Wilson. The new development means that municipalities can per- haps break even on their cardboard collection operations. Exeter council last week was enthused about the price be- "Tf all you collected was aluminum and cardboard, then you wouldn't have to charge a fee for collection." to recycle it pays to recycle it ing paid, since the town collects and ships about four tons a week to Bluewater, and will now recoup over $1,000 a month for the program. "The cardboard is an excellent way for us to recoup some of our costs," said mayor Ben Hoogenboom. With more and more companies competing for recyclable materials, prices are rising in several markets, and Wilson said it means that recycling as a whole will become more cost effective, if not profitable. "That's the direction we want to be heading," he said. "If all you collected was aluminum and cardboard, then you wouldn't have to charge a fee for collection." Plastics, for instance, are still more expensive to collect, , sort, and ship than they are worth on the market, he said, but even those markets are improving with time. Blue box collection, despite costing about $25 a house- hold per year in most areas, still promotes its hidden sav- ings - the savings in landfill space and costs, and the en- vironmental benefits of not having to produce entirely new materials. arly 60Q skatersitrid supporters in Exeter this weekend for competition The H.O.M.E. may very well be the single largest sporting even the town has ever hosted EXETER - If the stores and restaurants in town seem a little busier than usual this weekend, it's because of the H.O.M.E. (Huron, Oxford, Middlesex, Elgin) Skat- ing Competitions sponsored this year by the Exeter ACILVOILI Figure Skating Club. About 580 skaters from the four counties will be per- forming at the South Huron Recreation Centre and they will all have several supporters with them, making this event the largest competition ever held in Exeter. If you want to see local skaters show off the results of many hours of practice and dedication to their sport, take some time to drop by the arena. Complete details of the weekend's events are on pages 16, 17, and 18. Willa 'big box' store mean the end of Exeter as we all know it? A market impact study sought by council would aim to' answer that question before a developer gives it a try EXETER - While feared by many of the town's retailers, council is hoping to discover exactly what the impact on Exeter's economy would be if a large discount department store were to locate in or near the town. Council agreed last week to send a request to Ministry of Municipal Af- fairs for assistance with a market impact study for Exeter, addressing exactly those concerns. Town administrator Rick Hundcy says such a study is best done now, when there is no pressure on council or property owners from a large developer. The lure of a multi- million dollar building permit can be hard to ignore, even if existing businesses complain of unfair com- petition. Although Hundey said a large developer could target lands near Exeter in Hay Township, Stephen or Usborne, he said "we're more concerned about the impact of a large discount department store lo- cating in the north end of town." Such a store may indeed have some benefits to the town's retail trade, such as drawing customers from a wider area, hut Hundcy said that would have to he the weighed against the damage it could do to existing retailers. "We want answers for the community. We want to know if it's something we want for the town," said Hundcy. Those answers, provided by the market impact study, would then be incorporated into the town's Official Plan, making it impossible to ignore by ei- ther council, developers, or the Ontario Municipal Board. Such a study would be necessary, in fact, before such a large change. to the Official Plan could be allowed. "You've got to ask yourself, does this mean these [existing) stores will dis- appear, or if they have to re -orient themselves?" noted Hundey. Emrik Suiches, the ex- pert on small town econ- omies who spoke in Ex- eter last October, warned that "big box" discount stores eyeing small town markets have the potential to devastate an entire town - replacing family-owned businesses with a single corporation -owned operation. "We've had some inquiries. People who have made those inquiries have not shown the will- ingness to do the impact study," said Hundey. With the cost of an impact study by private con- sultants running about $30,000, Hundey said if de- velopers wbl'l ford it alon , governmonti nicipa)►Affirits / . t' "Ydti've got to ask yourself, does this mean these stores will disappear, or if they have to re -orient themselves?" ay the cost, and the town cannot af- the present hope is the provincial oval Planning Policy Branch of Mu - will be willing to help. Cr - 4 Kids and seniors team up Lindsay VanDamme alms for a strike during the Dairy Queen kids and golden age seniors bowling tournament In Zurich on Saturday. VanDamme was representing one of the two Zurich teams entered In the tournament. Two others were from Wallaceburg, and one each from Blen- heim and Ridgetown. The men's half of the toumament was being bowled the same day In Ridgetown.