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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1977-03-10, Page 30 Board refuses guard request Huron County Board of Education turned down a request from Seaforth town council for support of the town's crossing guard program. Adopting a recommendation of Director of Education Jphn Cochrane the board , claimed that the primary responsibility for the safety of pupils crossing highways rests with the pupils, their parents and their municipality. The town made the request for money at the March , board m.eeting advising board members that it planned to initiate crossing guards at the Board budget (continued from page 1) in the last two years' budgets. Dunlop said in 1975 the committee had, overestimated grants by $89,088 and in 1976 had overestimated by $3,898 leaving the board short those amountsd in its requisition totals. He said the municipalities would have to pay those costs this year to enable the board to clear the books. The other _major expense faced in 1977 is the purchase of four new school buses which the board approved at its February meeting. The buses cost a total of $98,000 which showed up in an increase in capital equipment pur- chases. Dunlop said the committee decided last year to keep capital costs at a bare minimum and this year had met with considerable opposition in that area. He said teachers were concerned that equipment in schools was deteriorating and needed replacement and that fact combined with an lncreasq in the grant structure urged the com- mittee to support the increased capital costs. Trustee John Henderson said he felt the board needed more information on the budget before it could make a decision on it. He said the trustees who sit on the education committee make decisions regularly with no idea what those decisions will cost. He said the board should have all the information elementary schopls. The assistance was to offset the costs for the guards, primarily wages. Cochrane said the board had adopted a resolution in August of 1975 that set a precedent with regard to crossing guards, He told the board in his recommendation that prior to that time . there were three different sittations in the county regarding the employment of crossing guards. The three were em- ployment by the board, employment by the municipality and a shared cost by the municipality and the board. up. . . . possible claiming in the past they used to get that material. Shirley Hazlitt supported Henderson's claim, adding that the decisions are made with no idea as to how they will ultimately affect the budget. Director of education John Cochrane said the normal procedure is for decisions made by the education com- mittee to be passed on to the management committee to see if the funds are available. "Salaries are the number one cost and there is nothing can be done about them," interjected Dunlop. "Maybe there is," said Henderson. Ashfield Trustee Eugene Frayne suggested that the two committee system may be was inadequate pointing out that the management committee will base its decision on dollars and cents without being aware of the priority in- volved. He suggested that some im- portant decision could possibly be wasted despite its importance simply because there wasn't enough money on hand to pay the costs. Shirley Hazlitt added that the common answer to this problem is that any trustee can "go to the meeting of his or" her choice. She said both committees meet simultaneously and half the board sits on education and half sits on management. The Colborne trustee said 0 y OA p w Stop the presses ! By Chris Zdeb There's something about the coming of spring that sets the soles of your feet to itching. No, it's not the first signs of athlete's foot, it's the desire to start globe-trotting. _ About four years have passed since the last time I left home with suitcases packed. Thinking I was finally moving out of the house, the family had been a little disappointed that I was only going to be gone for a little over a week touring the sights of Paris on a school trip. It was my first time in a plane, and it came complete with air sickness, one of the memories of the trip I wish I could forget. Another, is arriving bright and early in Paris at 9:30 in the morning, with a whole day of ac- tivities following a six -hour air flight with no food or sleep. • - The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the palace of Versailles and the hunting chateau of Fountainbleu - we toured them all and then some. What little time was not covered by planned tours was spent with side tours of your own choice. While other members of the entourage visited the Bastille or the Latin Quarter of the Moulin Rouge, I spent most of my free time getting first hand knowledge of the city's washroom facilities. Nature tends to strike at the most inopportune times, when yo'u are either miles away from the next rest stop or a few minutes out of the last stop you thought you could do without. Hearing about the old plumbing in Paris is one thing, seeing it first hand is another. Prepared for old-fashioned facilities, I was rather taken aback at „just how old-fashioned, old fashioned really was. • One of the first stops on the nine -day tour included a little restaurant outside of the palace of Versailles. Courtesy demanded that you order something and then use the washroom facilities after, but nothing adds to your troubles like having to stare at a glass of coke knowing you'veno room to store it in. Walking in the door marked Toilete, I found a man talking on a telephone. It could have been a scene out of Candid Camera, but unfortunately it wasn't. A second try and a little snooping, turned up another door to the right of the telephone. It was the bathroom all right though it was kind of hard to tell at first because all it had was a drain situated in the middle of the floor. Needless to say it took a little maneuvering to get the job done right but I was to learn later that things would get better. How much better? Well, one of the next stops had a toilet seat minus the chair. Recognizing at least one part of the traditional North American plumbing was somewhat comforting even if it was still situated around the drain sitting in the middle of the floor. All the rest stops however were not as 'different' as the examples above, and to be quite honest it was a little disappointing when you finally did find a traditionally furnished rest room. Depending on how you look at it, the side tours, while being unconventional, were something of an added plus to stories of my worldly travels. I wouldn't like to make as an extensive a survey of plumbing in other lands, but must admit it does have possibilities for the traveller who has supposedly seen it all. YES! YOU CAN OWN A CANADIANA $1 060 MODULAR HOME FOR AS LITTLE AS DOWN the resolution reduced the number of instances where the board participated in crossing guard programs to zero. Since that time Wingham and Goderich have both initiated crossing guard programs without the involvement of the board. In his recommendation to the board the director said that along with the responsibility the municipality has with regard to pupil safety the board cannot become financially involved in the employment of persons who work for the municipality. the system broke down due to that reason. "That makes my point as to why the 'standing committee system is nq'good," said,Cochrane. Clarence MacDonald said he felt that the system the board used now was the best in a long time. He said he had been a trustee for perhaps as long or longer than anyone in the room and spoke from experience. He said 'quite often in the past meetings would extend until the wee hours of the morning over petty issues and those days are gone. "The committee system stems from a certain amount of trust and if that trust is missing the board is in trouble," he said. Dunlop said the material the board members was discussing was always available to anyone wanting to see it. He said the committee had been working a long time on the budget and the trustees should have known that. He said any trustee wanting information or material used to make budget decisions had only to ask for it and it would be given out. The budget was presented at Mon-. day's meeting and required the board's approval or a penalty would have been imposed -by the ministry of education. Mr. Dunlop said the ministry placed a penalty on -"-the board's grants if the budget wasn't submitted by March 15. Full house at meeting Clinton's five mayoralty candidates field questions from the audience at last Thursday's "Meet the *Candidates Night" in the Town Hall. Jim Hunter, left, Harold Lobb, George Vance, Terry Maguire and Bill Crawford spoke b 'efly for dive minutes before exchanging comments with the audience of about 140 people. The hour and a half meeting was chaired by Clinton News -Record editor Jim Fitzgerald seated behind the candidates. (N .!ws-Record photo) ALPHA Huron learns of grants for elevators ALPHA learned this month that a 100 percent grant for elevators, installed in arenas for the use of the han- dicapped, has been confirmed by Queen's Park. Money is available from the province for innovations that exceed the Ontario Building Code. However, builders, architects and, even those in charge of the ministry of culture and recreation office at Hanover were unaware of its existence. When the Brussels arena Authoritycuts budgetagain For the second year in a row the Ausable-Bayfield Conservation Authority has cut its annual budget by several thousand dollars. The authority approved a reduced bpdget of $502,000 at its annual meeting Friday. Last year's budget was $513,932 which was almost $100,000 less than the year before. Despite the 'decrease, the financial report said the authority's general' levy to the municipalities will in- crease by slightly less than nine percent to $117,000. That's about the same in- crease as last year. The authority's share of the budget, including levids and other revenue, is $170,500, down slightly from last year. The over-all decrease in the budget results from lower provincial grants, resources manager Don Pearson said. The province will pay $331,500 ' in general and supplementary grants, about $4,000 less than in 1976 year. While the grants are down, the authority's expenses have risen mostly because of higher fuel and material, secretary -treasurer Lila Hume said. - Pearson said that will mean cutbacks in some programs, with conservation area development being the hardest hit. The authority had asked for a $587,760 budget after its year-end meeting Dec. 10, but the ministry of natural resources cut that back. Pearson said .the revised budget shows the changing priorities of the ministry. It is emphasizing water management and erosion control more and recreational development ,such as conservation areas, less, he said. The largest project to be undertaken by the authority is setting up erosion control in Grand Bend where the river bank is caving in. The over-all cost is estimated at $100,000 with the province paying 75 percent. The village and other municipalities in the authority area will each pay $2,500. Owners directly af- fected by the improvements will pay the remaining $20,000. Pearson said. The . water management budget for the year is $181,500, compared to $140,500 for recreation and $180,000 for administration and main- tenance. Hume said the authority will also get extra funds from the province to finance an "Experience" summer employment program for students. Last year the authority hired 24 students and received a $36,000 grant. But New director appointed Hume said there is no way of telling what this year's grant will be. At Friday's meeting the authority also chose its executive for the year, making few changes. Roy Westcott was ac- claimed to a second term as chairman and Ivan Hearn will stay on as vice-chairman. He was also unopposed. Two authority committees will have new chairmen. John Duncan takes over as chairman of the Parkhill Conservation area com- mittee. The committee looking after the other areas will be headed by Donald Lithgow. Remaining at the heads of their committees are: Robert Austin, finance; Wilson Hodgins, flood control; Joseph Dietrich, reforestation, wildlife and land use; Frank McFadden, education and information, and Allan Campbell, land acquisition. The Honourable Keith Norton, Minister of Com- munity and Social Services, this week announced the appointment of William Gregg as Director of Bluewater Centre at Goderich. Mr. Gregg, the , present director of training at Bluewater Centre, will assume his new position March 18, 1977. He replaces Ross F. Bryant who has resigned. He was appointed director of training at Bluewater in April, 1976. Mr. Gregg joined the Ministry of Community and Social Services in 1975 as coordinator, program development, mental retardation community programs. From 1970-1975 he was director of Regional Children's Centre, Windsor Western Hospital Centre. Prior to that he was a regional educational con- sultant with , the Ontario Ministry of Education. Mr. Gregg, 42, received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Windsor in 1964 and his Master of Education (special education) from Wayne` State University in 1970. CLEARAN(1 Canadiana quality in- cludes: National Build. ing Code, C.M.H.C. and C.S.A. approval; plus broadloom, wiring, heat- ing and plumbing. VISIT OUR NEW DISPLAY" MODEL . 20 Main N., Waterdown N ERECT I ON 'YOUR roUNoATION WE MAKE OWNING A HOME EASY! Phone or Write +11-1 HURON PINES CONSTRUCTION LTD. Agents for: GNC Homes Canadiana Modular Homes P.O. BOX 1177 PHONE COLLECT CLINTON 482-7901 I own a lot 0 YES 0 NO heron pines il. OF GUITARS—CASES—DRUMS B ANJOS—ELECTRIC GUITARS B ASS—STRI NGS— ETC. *We and the room, we're -. expanding our keyboard displays. USED GUITARS $5. UP NEW GUITARS • • TD 5 0 % O F.F *Come early for eye-popping savings! PULSIIER MUSIC MAIM15t., SEAFORTH 5274053 board inquired at Queen's Park, they were told theirs was only the second ap- plication in the province. To qualify tor such a grant, the building must be ac- cessible to wheelchairs at the ground level. Washroom facilities for the han-dicapped and doors wide enough for the passage of a wheelchair must be provided on both levels. In addition, a heated viewing area must be available. The ALPHA members would also like to bring to the public's attention the con- venience of a chair placed in strategic areas in stores for handicapped or elderly shoppers. Even a handy folding chair would be welcomed. The next meeting will be David Anstett Graduate Gemologist Gemological Institute of America The day you buy a diamond you might be confused at the wide range of diamond prices Actually the pricing of diamonds is no mystery at aIl.'It, just takes a little understanding o the slight differences in qualify that make one stone worth more than another — delicat gradations of color — barely visible imperfections — accuracy of cut. We at Anstett Jewellers will be happy to explain the differences in carat weight, clarity, color and cut that determine the price of each diamond. These four factors are known as the Four C's. 1 CARAT WEIGHT The weight of a diamond is measured by the carat, a unit derived from the carob tree, whose uniform seeds were used to balance scales in the ancient Oriental bazaars. There are 142 carats to the ounce. Carats are further subdivided into point. There are 100 points in a carat, like cents in a dollar. A 45 -point diamond weighs a little less than half a carat. (The average size of an engagement ring in this country is about 47 points.) A typical rough diamond recovered in the mines weighs a lot less than a carat, and about half of that weight is lost in coning. Because larger stones are more rare, they have a greater value per carat; thus a one -carat diamond can be worth up to three times as much as a half -carat stone of the same quality. 2. CLARITY Because they are a product of Nature, most diamonds contain small im- perfections. If these inclusions cannot be seen by the naked eye, they have little effect on the way light passes through the stone — or on its beauty. But they can affect its price. 3. COLOUR Most diamonds described as white are nearly colorless but have a slight tinge of color. This color adds warmth to each diamond's unique 'personality.' Completely colorless, icy -white diamonds are very rare and are priced accordingly. White diamonds with a tinge of blue — known as 'blue -white' — are rarer still — perhaps one in many hundred thousands. Color is often a matter of personal taste. The variations in color are often so slight they can be detected only by an expert under special lights. In direct sunlight, in incandescent artificial light, by candlelight — the lights in which you will usually wear your diamond — diamonds look very 'much alike, colorwise. They reflect the color of the lights played on them. The best way to see the true color of a diamond is to look at the stone through its side against a white background. Although most diamonds are a shade of white, diamonds do come in all colors — pale yellow, canary, pink, red, green, blue and brown. These are called fancies, and they are valued for their depth of color, just as white diamonds are valued for their lack of color. The famous Hope diamond is blue. And the well-known Tiffany diamond is canary. 4. CUT This refers both to the make of a diamond, or the way the facets are arranged, and to its shape. Today's diamonds are cut according to an exact. mathematical formula. The diameter of The table (top facet), the height of the stone above the girdle (widest circumference), and its depth below must all be cut in the exact proportions specified ' by the formula. For a diamond to have a perfect make, the angles between any two facets must be accurate to within half a degree. This will produce the greatest fire and -brilliance. Anything less reduces both the beauty and the value of a diamond. The cutter decides the shape of a diamond when he examines the rough stone. He takes into consideration the shape of the rough, its size, any imperfections, and how much weight will be lost in the cutting. The five shapes shown are the most popular for engagement rings. Anstett Jewellers are proud to offer the services of a Graduate Gemologist (Gemological Institute of America), certified diamond setter, and designer; and our highly - trained and qualified staff, to our customers. Your con- fidence in us can be assured by our membership in the Canadian Gemological , Association and the Canadian Jewellers Association. held in the Holmesville school on March 22 at 8 p.m. Come out and help us celebrate the first anniversary of ALPHA in Huron - a most gratifying year. For information, call Mary Howell in Goderich, 524-8642; Pat and Ralph' Watson in Brussels, 887-6236; or Elaine Townshend in Clinton, 482- 3073. How to Choose your first Diamond... The day you buy a diamond. will be one you will look back on with warm, happy memories. The diamond is unique among gems. Like snowflakes or fingerprints, no two diamonds in the world are alike. So your diamond will be different from every other diamond in the world. The diamond is Nature's hardest substance. And its most brilliant. Each diamond puts on its own special 'light show,' transforming ordinary light into a rainbow of shimmering colors. f e ANSTETT JEWELLERS LMITED Renowned for quality since 1950 11 ALBERT STREET, CLINTON 482-3901 SEAFORTH WALKERTON