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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1985-12-18, Page 1ATING-THE Bin TH STANDA ELI), BUGLE • Christmas causes changes MORON - The Christi las season is a time offhustle and btastie ftor people of all ages. Children have been rehearsing for their Christmas concert while adults hoe been visiting every store in town in search for a special gift for that special.so. n[ncone, Since Christmas falls an Wednesday this year, the Christmas edition of the News - Record will be printed on Monday, December 23 instead of December 25. Therefore, editorial and advertising deadlines have been changed. Anyone wanting to put a write-up in the ggaltiea� is aslaterked to thhaven1$e theirp.af. copy on into theFridayof- fice p, Dece Tiber 2& Classified word ads and com- ing' events t also'ite in at that time. Anyone wishing to put in a display ad must do so by 4 p.m. on December 20. The New Year's edition will be published on Monday, December 30 instead of Wednes- • day, January 1. The deadline for news copy, classified word ads and coming events will be 12 p.m. on Friday, December 27. Display ads should be in by 4 p.m. on December 27. NO. 51 120TH YEAR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1$T 1985 50 CENTS Bankers want to deal Joseph (Jeffrey Johnston) just couldn't stifle a yawn during the played by Amanda Kennedy. The school's annual Christmas con - Kindergarten Class 2 dress rehearsal of ;'.The First Christmas" on cert is being held tonight, Wednesday, December 18. (Joanne Monday, December 16 at Hullett Central Public School. Mary is Buchanan photo 1 MAYOR CASTS TIE BREAKING VOTE Councilvetoes exercise classes By Anne Narejko CLINTON. - "Its been discussed and discussed and discussed...We want to know what's happening once and for all." When Councillor Bonnie Jewitt spoke. , these words during council's December 14 meeting, she was referring to the Afternoon Trim -A -Size program that is held twice a week in the town hall auditorium. For several months, council has feared the unison jumping and the noise vibrations will eventually cause structural damage to the 104 -year-old building. However, the program is providing a service and is a money maker for the recreation committee. It was because of these reasons council found themselves divided, forcing Mayor John Balfour to break the tie. The mayor voted infavor of cancelling the classes. Voting in favor of continuing the classes in the town hall auditorium were Councillors Ross Carter, Bonnie Jewitt, Gord Gerrits and Deputy -Reeve Rosemary Armstrong. Those opposed were Councillors Case Buffinga, John Cochrane, Ken Holmes and Reeve Bee Cooke. The recreation committee has.tried to find Arts and committee goes outon its own other locations to hold the classes, but because of the babysitting service which is offered with, the classes, they have .been unsuccessful. "We have tried every possible alternative...We've come to the conclusion that there is no suitable place to hold it. We can't find a time or location that meets the demands of the people involved," said Councillor Jewitt. "We'd like to hold the classes because it is making money and providing a valuable service." Mayor Balfour questioned the need for the babysitting service because there were places which could accommodate the, classes, but not the babysitting. "The babysitting service is one of the attractions," answered CouncillorJewitt. According to Recreation Director Steve Campbell. the recreation committee has approached local churches which could accommodate both the classes • and the babysitting service but were told they would have to pay a fee of approximately $15 a day. For that reason the committee decided against relocating the classes. However, if council had decided to allow cultura Arena committee' - Lnairpeison, i..uwua Reid; Danny Colquhoun and council representative Ross Carter. Parks, Pools and Programs Committee - Barb Crawford, Steve Gibbings and council representative John Cochrane. The arts committee consists of Councillor Bonnie Jewitt, Judy Stuart, Steve Oliver, Roy Wheeler and recreation director Steve Campbell. There Will also be one more member appointed in the near future. Up to this point, there has been a set rate for outside groups, organizations and individuals using the town hall auditorium, but town committees have not had the same guidelines. During its meeting, council decided to "either charge everyone or no one at all." After much discussion, it was decided to set a standard charge for committee functions but allow free use of the facility for meetings. "Where do you draw the line?" asked Mayor John Balfour. "You either charge everyone or you charge no one at all." The recreation committee also suggested all bookings for the auditorium be done through the clerk's office. Council agreed with the committee, feeling that one booking location would save employees and the users time and frustration. The job of setting up the 'chairs and tables in the auditorium has fallen into the hands of the recreation director. The recreation committee feels this should be handled by the town office. "The work is now being done by the recreation director and we feel it's not his job," said Councillor Jewitt. . Reeve Bee Cooke agreed, stating, "We knew we were dealing with this shortage before." Mayor Balfour said council agrees with the recreation committee in principle but will deal with the issue at a later date. CLINTON - The Arts and Cultural Committee is no longer classified -as a sub- committee of recreation. Instead, the committee will set its own policy and procedure under the guidance of council. The recreation committee first announced its intent to separate the arts committee during its December 14 meeting. Gord Gerrits, arts committee chairman at that time; threw the thought out before the recreation committee for future consideration. "It's an idea to kick around...You may find that some people want to get involved with the arts, but not recreation," he said. Recreation committee member ,Judy Stuart echoed his remarks, stating, "We don't have enough people to stage the events. This way we might get more people out." The recreation committee tabled the issue until the next meeting, giving members time to think the issue through. At the ® December meeting, a proposal was drawn up to present to council. During its December 16 meeting, council accepted the proposal and the recommendations made by the recreation committee. In presenting the proposal to council, Councillor Bonnie Jewitt, a representative of the recreation committee, explained that the arts and cultural committee would like to have the recreation director act .as a liaison for the arts and recreation committees. She also suggested that one council representative and one recreation committee representative sit on the arts. The arts committee will receive a budget each. year from council to pay its operation costs. With the separation of the arts committee, recreation committee now consists of: • Chairman, Ron McKay. 1 the classes to continue in the town hall auditorium, a fee would also been charged under a new policy Wel requires all those using the faciiity to pay a standard fee. Council has consulted an .architectural firm about the use of the auditorium. "The architect said it could be used (for exercise classes) but it may get damaged. He didn't know definitely," explained Councillor Carter. Mayor Balfour compared the unison jumping which occurs during the classes to soldiers marching over a bridge. "They have to break step when they cross a bridge or it will collapse," he said. He also commented on the sound vibrations Which occurred when the fire siren was located on the top of the town hall. "Not only was the town hall damaged but other businesses were as well..." he said. After council's votes were counted, it was Mayor Balfour who cast the deciding -vote,. He said, "It's time the program found another location." 4 one on one with farmers By Stephanie Levesque Bankers want to deal with farmers on a one to one basis without being told to do so by government legislation, according to representatives of these financial institutions, who squared off with about 15 members of the Huron County federation of agriculture on Dec. 5. Snow and other agriculture related meetings reduced the number in attendance. The informal discussion between the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), Farm Credit Corporation (FCC), and the Royal Bank and the federation took the form of the federation's monthly meeting which was held at Hensall public school. The debt review board and a possible farm credit arrangement act were the two main items discussed. The three representatives said they and their firms are willing to work with farmers on an individual basis to come to a satisfactory solution on financial matters. "I'm hearing from all three of you, a willingness to consider deals," commented federation director Maira Van Bommel. of RR 1, Dashwood. She went on, "Why are banks opposed to debt restructuring legislation?" "We don't want legislation telling us we have to write down loans. It wasn't the government that told you, you had to come in arid borrow, money," said Steve Fraser of the Royal Bank in Clinton. George Spence of Walkerton, district manager for the Farm Credit Corporation, said he personally is not in favor of legislating farm credit arrangements. "We still prefer to deal with each situation individually," said John Harris of the CIBC in London. "We still feel we can work a solution out." Van Bommel noted that farm credit arrangement legislation wouldn't necessarily require financial institutions to write down a loan. A judge, she says, would make the final decision after both. the farmer and creditor have agreed to go that route. She also criticized the FCC's current moratorium on farm foreclosures. "What is the Farm Credit Corporation doing - saving face over Christmas?" asked Van Bommel. Spence also said he isn't happy with the moratorium. As far as he knows, no program has been developed to handle the debt problems once the moratorium period is over. "The FCC moratorium - what • is it doing? The interest clock is still ticking on. It's like a referee blowing a whistle while the' two sides calm down," said the federation director. Spence agreed. The Farm Credit Corporation's district manager spent some time discussing the debt review board of which he was a part. "It's hard, for the limited numbers we had, to know how successful it was," 'said Spence. • He said 85 farmers in Grey and Bruce Counties applied for the review and only twenty-three were granted • hearings. From the hearing stage, four cases went on to the creditors, said the district manager. Spence said the debt review board did not carry on until the end as it should have. He said not all members of the board could agree on all points in preparing a report on the review board. Spence and others on the board feeling the same way, wrote a separate report, "We couldn't always get cases -heard. There were some real organization problems," said Spence. In thanking the panel' members, federation member Chris Palmer of RR 5, Wingham commented that low commodity prices are at the root of the , farmers' problems. Captial projects are top priority By Stephanie Levesque "Money for captial projects" will be a priority of the ' Huron -Perth Roman Catholic separate school board, says its re- elected chairman. Ron Marcy of Stratford was re-elected at the board's inaugural meeting on Dec. 3. The original meeting date of Dec. 2 was cancelled because of a snow storm in the area. ' The main capital project to be under- taken by the school board in 1986 is an ad- dition to St. Boniface in Zurich. The pro- vincial ministry of education has denied funding for this project for 1986. "We have to build," said Marcy. The addition is planned to house students from nearby Ecole Ste. Marie which has been earmarked for closure in June of 1987, The school had originally been scheduled to close next June but lack of provincial funding delayed the closing. Marcy expects accommodation will again ' become a problem in Stratford schools in 1987. Unlike two ears a o when initial plans called,for the closing of two of the five Catholic schools in that city, Mar- cy says the problem will be increased ,.enrolment. No schools were closed two years ago. The increase inenrolment is directly related to the French immersion program started this past September and the high school program starting next fall, A mathematics teacher at Stratford's Northwestern secondary school himself, Marcy sees "no problem" between the Perth County board of education and the Catholic school board over the high school. "I don't think it (Catholic high school) will affect the public high schools," said Marcy. . . The high school teacher defeated Vin- cent McInnes of RR 4, . Wingham for the board's top position. McInnes las served as vice-chairman for the past year. Dave Durand of RR 2, Zurich was ac- claimed as the board's vice-chairman. An Turn topage2• The Huron County Christmas Bureau, co-ordinated by Family and ton, Helen Roorda, left, and Sandra Dykstra were accepting done - Children's Services, helps approximately 300 families each year. tions of food, clothing, toys or money at the Clinton Christian Bureaus are set up in Clinton, Exeter, Seaforth, Goderich and Reformed Church. ( Anne Narejko photo) Wingham with local volunteers taking care of each bureau. In Clin-